Well, if you want MY opinion....

I woke up one morning with this thought in my head...

Opinions....take out some letters and you have the word "onions". Sometimes strong, sometimes sweet, sometimes to flavor, and sometimes to overpower.

And I wonder why I have trouble sleeping!

An opinion is a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter.

An opinionated person is defined as unduly adhering to one's own opinion or to preconceived notions. (Unduly means excessively)

Why was I thinking about all that? Well, I've observed a few things about opinions. They're pretty widely accepted as long as everyone agrees with it! Good luck if you're the only one in the room who doesn't! Be careful...most people don't want your opinion, they just want you to hear theirs or be in agreement with theirs. Careful...this can get sticky!

Do people really want your opinion? Do you want theirs? I once responded to an opinion with my own opinion, and the person got mad at me! Wait a minute....wasn't it okay that he/she JUST got done giving hers/his? For some reason, I was not allowed my opinion that day, and it really bugged me. I guess some people's opinions turn me off, but I generally don't attack them or throw a snit fit on the spot about it. I may go home, roll my eyes, and lament to my poor husband who doesn't care either way and wonders why I do.

If you don't have an opinion, chances are, you don't have a brain either. I'm sorry, but everybody thinks something about something and generally some things are more strongly felt than others. However, it is HOW we choose to share our opinions, WHEN we choose, and with WHOM we share them with. What is your motivation for sharing your opinion anyway? Do you want to be heard, do you want to counter something you strongly disagree with, or is it just an automatic response? I think opinions have their place, and most of the time, they belong stuck there right in our throats, going no further.

It doesn't make you a "yes" man, a weakling, a fence-sitter, or any of those other words I've heard. I think it takes a bigger person to withhold a strong feeling, knowing when to share and when to keep it to yourself. Will it impact the conversation positively, or is it just a way to blow off steam? Will it matter in the grand scheme of things or will it cause more problems?

I love all the references in the Bible about the tongue. It's a mighty sword, and is compared to the rudder of a ship. Such a small little thing that can control the whole body, and not always in a good way! I have not always used my tongue positively but I don't know anyone who has been proficient in that area.

I have some strong opinions just like most people do, but I'm learning that unless someone wants me to share it, it will stay with me. Maybe I'm a little old-fashioned, but I appreciate it when a friend or family member first asks me, "Do you want my opinion?" It's just courtesy. Most times I don't mind. Depends on how you deliver it, I guess.

On the flip side of that is when a friend asks you for your opinion on something, you give it in the best way possible, and it backfires on you. Make sure it's a true friend first!! Better yet, make sure she or he really knows what he/she is asking of you before you answer!

Opinions....they can be rotten and smelly like bad onions, or they can be used like salt and add just a touch of flavor....you decide!!