What kind of relationship do you have with yourself? Are you true to your feelings? Do you speak up when you see or hear something wrong?
Or do you say nothing at all and stay silent to avoid unpleasantries?
My oldest daughter Danielle, used to always ask why I felt the need to speak up. She used to question me throughout her childhood about my unapologetic outspoken nature, and in some ways would purposely do the opposite.
Interestingly enough, it wasn’t until she left for college that she found her voice. Since then, she has now become a strong champion for herself and the very thing she used to question about me, has become the springboard for her own advocacy.
As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I grew up hearing stories of people going along with whatever regime was put into place. My father told me that one day everything was great in Eastern Europe and the next day all his friends turned on him for no valid reason other than they were told he was bad because of his religion.
He taught me that if you stand up for nothing, you’ll fall for anything. It is his voice I hear when making all decisions regarding my life and it’s his advice I follow when I speak my mind.
I have never been one to listen to gossip or hearsay about any individual without weighing in all perspectives and analyzing the source. (The source’s motive is key, btw.)
I think there are a few stragglers out there who could use this piece of advice.
Did I mention a few?
Ok, just making sure.
I try to give everyone a chance to be the best they can be and I form an opinion from my own judgment and not because I hear something off the street.
Remember, listening to street gossip is like buying street drugs (not that I would personally know) you never know what ingredients have been added or deleted and what form of crap you’re really ingesting.
Had I listened to gossip or banter about the men that I’ve dated, I would have missed out on some of the most incredible relationships of my lifetime.
Here’s the thing… everyone’s got an opinion. (You know the quote, right? Opinions are like a**holes and none of them are pretty)
But not everyone brings out the same things in one another and that’s the truth.
So the way one individual may be with one person might very well be the opposite of how they are with another.
In the end, form opinions on your own and know that a weed in one person’s garden is a flower to the next.
Happy Spring and bloom away…
Until Next time,
Love,
Karin
