Have you ever heard the old adage, "There’s 100 ways to skin a cat?" Not really sure where that one came from and I don’t really care to find out. But there are multiple ways to do pretty much everything. Most everyone has an opinion on which way is correct. Should we be hyper-focused on one very small niche? Or shall we be broad so that we can shift quickly because we have multiple talents in multiple different industries? These are just two examples that are very polarizing. In today’s age, our opinions can become very polarizing.
In this polarizing world, I find myself drifting towards being agreeable more often than I should. If I don’t have a strong opinion about the situation or issue, I tend to move towards the individual or argument that is the loudest. I want to challenge you, and myself, not to do this. Here’s why; there’s nothing wrong with not having a strong opinion and there’s nothing wrong with agreeing with someone else. The problem arises when we allow others to influence who we are. This is a scary situation because in doing this, we are inadvertently taking two additional actions. First, we are allowing the influence of others to be what defines us. And second, we are putting on a mask and hiding our true identity. We are called to be the very thing that we are. We are each uniquely and wonderfully made.
The strong opinions of others can lead to very unhealthy groupthink and when we look back on history we can see nation after nation after nation who have been led off a cliff because they were not willing to stand up for who they were individually. This involves the way that we think. If I think one way and you think another way, it does not mean that we cannot coexist. In fact, it actually means that we can sharpen each other. But this cannot be done if I submit to you or you simply submit to me. Today’s world asked us to put on masks and be good upstanding individuals. Not to create waves and simply go with the flow; the problem with this is we are no longer being ourselves. When we begin to lose our self identity we begin to lose the very essence of who we are. And we begin to compare ourselves to others. We are unique and together we are strong. We need to not lose sight of what makes us all individual. If you really want to do something and it’s morally and ethically just... just do it. It doesn’t matter if society or your coach or your friends don’t agree with you. The power you have inside of you to be yourself is extremely strong; coupled with the power of our Creator and you’re an unstoppable force. Don’t allow anyone to prevent you from being you.
