Are you educated or opinionated?

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean educated as in “Higher Education.” Anyone can be educated on anything as long as they take the time to 1. Ask a question. 2. Research the answer. 3. Find the RIGHT answer. This can be done as easily ad going straight to the “horse’s mouth” and asking.

I have found in my life that those that are way too opinionated and refuse to have any open minded conversation are usually the ones that have the loudest voices and feel they need to get defensive and yell or talk sternly to everyone while stating or yelling their opinion. It’s like their opinion is the only one that matters, ever.

I have also found that those who know how to become educated are those that will listen, with an open mind, and research for themselves to find the answer. It is at that point an educated person can have an intellectual and calm conversation with others. Just a note here: not everywhere you research is legitimate. Something I have always stayed clear from is Wikepedia and forums because anyone can add any opinion to those, and the biggest one, asking others instead of the person that needs to be asked!

Anyone can research, even a child. Children are actually the best at this, they ask questions all the time and if the rest of the children are like my 4 year old she will question my answer. What I have taught her is that it is OK to question my answer, but find a way to prove me wrong, legitimately and I will listen. Believe a 4 year can do this and I know of at least a dozen times my daughter and I have researched things together and many times I was mistaken and I have told her that and we learned together.

Have you ever had one of those friends that knows everything about everything? I swear I have those in my life and live with one. They will even argue with you that you’re wrong when you have the right answer starring them in the face because they can’t ever admit they may not know something?

I have 2 College degrees and I will be the first one to tell you that college does not make you smart. My degrees are in Exercise and Nutrition, what has that taught me about finance, law, medicine, etc. See where I am going with this? One thing college did teach me was how to FIND the right answer to anything. I am the queen of research. I will research something until I find an answer and then research again, and again.

When I was teaching college I researched my information every new term because I know that statistics change etc. You can’t depend on what you hear from other people who are not educated and you cannot depend on old research. Now a days old research is only a year or two old.

These past few weeks I have had to deal with a lot of negativity. People bashing and saying hurtful things before they even know what they are talking about. “Well my friend told me….” “I heard this from a friend of a friend…” Blah blah blah. Come on people, if you have known me for so many plus years and I have never steered you wrong before, what do you think I am going do? Seriously…you really think I am that kind of person. Especially to those people who have received free services from me and my husband for years, are you kidding me?

I believe that everyone comes in and out of your life for a reason. I love everyone I meet, even if for only a short time. Once I get to know them they may become harder to love but love is still there as everyone has a story.

My whole purpose of this post is a hope that people will learn how to educate themselves daily, on everything, instead of having a mind so closed that they cannot see any further in front of them then the nose on their face. I have also learned this week that it is OK to let go of some people in your life because if they are not willing to be your friend back when you need it and they say “ill” things about you to others behind your back, and then smile to your face, then why are you hanging on to that friendship? That is not a friendship. Friendship is two sided.

It is funny, but in my experience through life I have had more problems with this with the adults in my life than I had with my friends when I was young. I think it is because when we are young we still have an open mind and a hope to see something from all sides and not just one.