It is important to have an opinion and to express your ideas…of course, everyone has their perspective. Problems arise when we are married to our own way of thinking as absolute truth. We might wisely realize that our point of view is but one in the field of unlimited perspectives. Further, we might consider that our understanding is based only on our own life experience. Given this…it is curious why so often we expect others to agree with us. As my friend Shannon reminded me, we can’t even agree on salad dressing!
Here’s my viewpoint, and it’s just mine…we are not here to agree or disagree. We are here to grow and evolve. If we want to know more than we know, if we want to understand more than we understand, our work is to ask questions and listen.
Ask questions with a genuine curiosity. Listen to others with a genuine desire to understand more deeply. Share your thoughts and ideas, absent self-righteousness and contempt.
Question your own beliefs and what you know to be true. Listen from within and cultivate wisdom. Change your mind and fine tune your beliefs.
Asking questions creates space and an opening for growth. Telling it like it is and digging in sets a boundary…there is nowhere to go from there. How can you know more than you know? How can you grow and evolve? One way is to practice asking questions and listening.
Still practicing.
Paula
