Do You Have an Opinion?

A number of years ago I made a very disturbing discovery. I was in the habit of having no opinion.

I was asked what thought about something I knew very little about. I had limited knowledge of the subject so I began asking everyone else their thoughts and quickly appropriated the one I was most comfortable with that I felt would be acceptable. 

That opinion was not my own. It was not part of me, and I did not feel confident about it. I had copy/pasted an opinion so that I had one. 

So many women I work with admit they have asked for permission from others as they make a decision. They look for a nod at the meeting room table. They look for a smile among a group of moms indicating, yes - I agree. They look for posts with unverified studies to pop up in their social feeds to support their thoughts.

It can be tempting to invite the opinions of your co-workers, VP, spouse, or even social media. It's easier to poll everyone you can think of until you get the answer you want to hear. Instead, it may be time to Get Clear. 

Getting clear looks like this: gathering, listening, and filtering through your own wisdom and lived experience.

Gather, Listen, Filter.

The result? 

You may see fewer nods of approval and more questioning head tilts. Whatever the result, the payoff is in the calm that comes with knowing that you are connected to your opinion rather than hustling for approval.