Stop for a moment and ask yourself: What is the difference between an opinion and a fact? Think about this for a moment: a fact versus an opinion. How do you think knowing and acknowledging the difference between them can impact your life?
Webster’s Dictionary defines an opinion as “a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter.” Many of the ideas we have are opinions; they are conclusions about particular things based on ideas we already have in our mind. When you see someone, or are presented with a new idea, your opinion is based on prior experiences and knowledge. Some opinions are positive and helpful. Those opinions can develop into a healthy self-esteem, healthy relationships, and a healthy outlook on life. But many times our opinions become negative. Negative opinions often lead to stereotyping, misinterpreting situations, and creating false realities. Negative opinions can hurt and hinder true development, especially when those opinions are misinterpreted as facts.
Think about some of the opinions that you now hold concerning your life. How do you feel about yourself? How do you feel about your job? Your house? Your partner? Your children? Are these beliefs set in stone, or do you have room to change and tweak each opinion? If you are set in your opinion, you might be misinterpreting things as concrete facts, when indeed they are just opinions.
For example, I often hear friends talk about how they cannot find a partner. They lament, “There are no good men/women in the world!” Have you ever said this, or found yourself thinking it? That simply is an opinion that isn’t true; there are many great people in the world. If you feel that you are worthy to be loved, then you yourself are a good person and you have nullified your earlier belief that there were no good people in the world. When the idea that there are no loving men or women around, it becomes your reality and you begin treating potential mates with suspicion and mistrust. When you meet someone new are you open to their individual differences or do you automatically assume certain things about them based on prior opinions that you might feel are facts? You can see now how having an opinion that you believe is a fact can stop you from finding other wonderful people in the world.
I’ve been told, “There are no good jobs out there.” Again, this is not a fact, this is simply an opinion. There are good jobs and careers out there, even in this economy. There are people who are going to work every day, to a job they absolutely love. Why might you not be one of them? If you have become stuck in your thinking that you won’t find a great job or a career that suits you, you will act out those beliefs in your daily life. You will stop looking for a great job or you may give up on your dream career. You can find yourself in a dead-end job, hating it and creating a negative energy around you and your workplace. So many people get stuck in this rut; they believe that there is nothing better out there for them when that simply is not true. You have to realize that this is a negative opinion and not reality.
“I’m just not good enough” is another negative opinion that I have heard far too often. Years of low self-esteem or low self-worth can cause you to strongly believe that you are just not attractive enough, not thin enough, not smart enough, etc. But again, these are opinions that you have accumulated in your mind. They are not facts. You have to firmly believe in your inner and outer beauty and strength and reaffirm that belief every chance you get. If you believe that you are not attractive, you will internalize that negativity and act as though you are not a beautiful person. You will withdraw from people and you might feel an incredible void in your life. That is no way to live!
You have to remind yourself that opinions are based in the mind and as such, they can be changed in the mind as well! When you repeat negative opinions over and over in your mind, you are simply cementing their stronghold on your life and making it harder to reach your true potential. An opinion can be changed. Our opinions are changed when presented with new or conflicting information. And no matter how engrained our opinions may be, no matter how much we might believe something to be a fact, there is always a chance to turn that negative opinion into a neutral or positive opinion. Continuously ask yourself: Is what I am feeling or thinking an opinion or a fact?
The ability to change your negative opinions into positive opinions lies within you. It might seem difficult to believe, but it is true. Once you acknowledge that your beliefs are simply opinions and allow yourself the wiggle room to change them and mold them into positive beliefs, you can do almost anything you put your mind to. If you stop believing that there are no good men or woman out there and acknowledge that there are great people, you will open yourself up to many incredible friends and potential mates. When you change that “no good jobs” into “I will find a great job someday”, you will live your life in search of what you will love and be passionate about. And when you stop thinking negatively about yourself and stop speaking in terms of facts instead of changeable opinions, you will start seeing yourself in a much more positive light.
You have the ability to be have a life full of positive energy; and that, my friends, is a fact!
Written by:
Jayar LaRoche
Associate Contributing Writer
