|
Just because an idea or way of doing things is popular doesn’t mean it’s
right for everyone. However, part of the way that something becomes popular
is that many of us don’t take the time to determine what’s right for us; we
simply do what most of the people we know are doing. In this way, our
decisions about life are made by default, which means they aren’t what we
call conscious decisions. There may be many other options available, but we
don’t always take the time to explore them. This may be the result of feeling
overwhelmed or pressured by family, peers, and humanity at large, to do
things their way, the way things have always been done. Regardless of the
cause, it is important that, as often as we can, we decide for ourselves what
to do with our lives rather than just drift along on the current of popular
opinion.
It is not always easy to make decisions that go against the grain. Many
people feel threatened when those close to them make choices divergent from
the ones they are making. Parents and grandparents may be confused and
defensive when we choose to raise our children differently from the way they
raised us. Friends may feel abandoned if we decide to change our habits or
behavior. Meanwhile, on our side of the fence, it’s easy to feel frustrated
and defensive when we feel unsupported and misunderstood simply because we
are thinking for ourselves. It can be exhausting to have to explain and
re-explain our points of view and our reasons.
This is where gentleness, openness, and tolerance come into play. It helps if
we are calmly persistent, consistent, and clear as we communicate to those
around us why we are making the choices we are making. At the same time, we
have the right to say that we are tired of talking about it and simply need
our choices to be respected. Our lives belong to us and so do our decisions.
Those who truly love us will stand by us and support our choices, never mind
what’s popular.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment