I LOVE Opinionated People

Today I feel the need to write how much I love opinionated people. Especially since many times, people with strong opinions (particularly women) are written off as domineering, aggressive, or bitchy (I'm not saying no one ever is this way, but people love to throw around these words when talking about opinionated women, and do so often when it is not fitting). So this is my post honoring all you people, women and men, who have strong convictions and opinions and are not afraid to share those with the world.

I'm not sure this has always been the case, but over the past several years I have found that I especially gravitate toward the loudmouth, opinionated types of people. Before, when I was younger, I didn't enjoy their company as much--mostly because I was still coming into my own, and was intimidated. But as I have become more of myself, and have my own strong opinions and convictions, I love being able to interact with people who can push back and contribute their own side to the dialogue. While I enjoy the company of all types of people, I find that I especially learn from and benefit from friendships where people are willing to express their thoughts and feelings about things. How can I learn to see different viewpoints if people don't stand up and share them? I mean, I can find them out on my own, but I love people who are willing to share. Because it's a risk to step out with your thoughts and feelings--and I salute and applaud the people in my life who are willing to do that.

This is ESPECIALLY true when they disagree with me.

I was talking with CMUG the other weekend, and really appreciated how she was willing to disagree with me, and to push back against my ideas. It gave me stuff to think about, and I just realized how much I love that quality in people--the willingness to have strong opinions and to share them. And my good friends Danny and Rachel in Atlanta--they are some STRONG women. And I have learned so much from them, and I love them.

You might think that interacting with a strong, opinionated person would make me feel squashed, or less able to express my own thoughts and feelings. But the opposite is actually true. (Sure, there are some people like that, but I think it's very possible to be loud and opinionated without being arrogant about it.) Because they freely express themselves, it makes me feel free to express myself too. I am free to be as strong, loud, and adamant as I want to be, and I don't have to worry about them just adopting my opinions to appease me, or making me feel like having strong opinions is a bad characteristic and makes other people feel bad. No way.

So, to all of you out there willing to take risks and believe in things, and then speak out and share your opinions with the world--I salute you. Thank you for putting it out there. Thank you for all I learn because of you expressing your thoughts and opinions. Thank you that you help me feel free to express myself as strongly as I want. Thank you for being the strong women and men God has made you to be.