Challenge Your Opinions

To my son Tommy,

Everyone has an opinion.  Most think their opinion is correct and true and have no intention of changing their opinion.  That type of thinking limits not only a person but society.  In essence a person with an unmovable opinion is filled with prejudice.

Ever have someone challenge your opinion?  The common reaction is to go on the defensive or worse to attack back.  Wars have been started over a difference in opinion.  Not fact, not truth, but opinion.  Some guy thinks things should be one way, another guy thinks things should be the other way, neither recognize the truth of how things actually are, and then they start a fight.

Opinions can also stunt your life.  You can form a poor opinion of yourself and your chances and thus create an insurmountable block to success, though it only exists in your mind.  The great news is an opinion is a choice.

You can choose to have good opinions of yourself.  You can choose to change poorly formed opinions on anything that you have an opinion on.  You can choose to respect other people's differing opinions.  So my challenge to you is to change an opinion.  Be open to new ideas, new perspectives, and most of all be open to the fact that your opinion just might be wrong.  Of course this is just my humble opinion on one aspect of life and it could be wrong.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo