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That's My Opinion, Period!

AuthorHouse

Chapter One

I wanted this topic to be the very first chapter in this book. Not because that is what the book is mainly about or that it is part of the title of this book, but to help you the reader to better understand that everyone has their own. It's not a matter of voicing out your opinion all the time, but listening to other peoples' opinions as well. I believe that everybody wants to be heard. As a result, nobody really wants to listen to other peoples' opinions. Now don't get me wrong; I am sure that there are some people out there that listen more than they speak out. If you are one of those people who tend to listen more, then take this chapter as understanding that there are people out there who would rather be heard instead of simply listening from time to time.

There is nothing wrong with being heard. A lot of people have had great and wonderful ideas. Some people inspire others to think differently or to look at certain things differently as a result of simply listening to other peoples' perspectives and opinions. However, being heard 24/7 is not the way to go through life. Whether you know that you are one of these people or not, understanding and accepting that you are indeed one of these people, will lead you faster to understanding that people around you also want to be heard as well. Let's say that you are someone who loves the attention that others show you and you love to be heard all the time as well, but hate to have to listen to someone go on and on about what they think. Do you think that people are going to continue to show you that attention you love so much if you do not show any interest in what they have to say? I'll answer that one: no. In my opinion and from what I have seen myself, I believe that people who act like this are the ones that are looked at by others as self-centered. They are more likely to be looked at as selfish than understanding. As a result, and again from what I have seen, people will slowly turn away from these self-centered people and focus their attention on people who show attention to their thoughts and ideas. Leaving a very lonely life for those who want it all, but don't want to give anything. So again, if you come to the realization that you are indeed one of these people, the "cure" is very simple. Just simply show others the attention that you yourself love so much. Remember, everyone wants to eventually voice their opinion and be heard as well. If you do not show the respect towards others and listen to their opinions, then plan on not being around them for too long.

Being able to voice your opinion is a great thing. It is what has helped our nation evolve and grow with great ideas. Imagine if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never spoke out about his opinions in the 1960's. This would be a very different world that we live in today. It is important to understand that by allowing people to voice their opinions, it allows others to think and come up with opinions on their own. I don't believe that when they were coming up with the space shuttle design that there was only one person with the correct idea. There were probably many different people with many different opinions on what would and would not work. The same goes for everybody in today's world. Whether you are doing something small or big, your opinion matters in ways that you could not even imagine. So it is always important to voice your opinion. It helps inspire others to think and come up with their own personal opinions.

Not for one minute think that this book was created based on my own opinions. It was with the help of everyday people who inspired me to think and understand in different ways that encouraged me to create this book. Now don't get me wrong, this book is based solely on my opinions of these values and topics, but I wouldn't have these opinions if I had never experienced them in one way or another. I would not have come up with chapters like respect or responsibility if I never heard other peoples' opinions on respect and responsibility. I would only have one mind set (or tunnel vision) on those two values along with the rest of the values in this book. It is imperative to understand that by simply listening to other peoples' opinions, it will open your mind to many new perspectives and opinions of your own. If no one ever told me their opinion on having a drive for something, I would think that having a drive would simply be to drive somewhere. But after my experiences, having a drive means having a passion to do something and willing to do anything to achieve it. So remember, voicing your opinion is good, but it may be even better to listen to other peoples' opinions as well.

You will go insane if you think that you'll always have the same opinion as someone else. I believe that no two people are the same in this world. Yes, some may agree with you on certain topics or ideas, but do not by any means count on people to always agree with you. You will be setting yourself up for disappointment all the time. Instead, you should come to the understanding that no two people are the same and that goes for their opinions as well. With regards to the space shuttle, I am pretty confident it was not just one person who had the correct design for the space shuttle, but many different minds worked together to create a final design. One person may have come up with how the wings should look while another came up with what material would be best to use. This same thought process is how you should look at many things including this book. Don't just look at something as "set in stone," but more of a different perspective on someone's opinion. Look at the chapters in this book as someone's different perspective and personal opinions on these values and topics. Come up and create your own opinions on these values and topics. Like many things in life, you're going to find out that not everything works for everyone. The same goes for the chapters in this book. I am not asking you to work on all of these values every single day. Take the values from this book and apply the ones you see fit when you feel you need to apply them into your life. Nobody is going to hold your hand through life and tell you when to be respectful or responsible. Nobody is going to hold your hand and say "listen to that person" or "you shouldn't believe that." As an adult, you need to understand that your opinion is the one that matters and that you have to know when your opinion should be voiced or silenced.

Knowing when to keep quiet about your opinion is key to being respectful towards others. Not everyone wants to hear what you have to say 24/7 so knowing when and where to voice your opinion is important. Maybe you don't like your boss and talk to a co-worker about how you don't like how your boss treats you. By voicing your opinion to your co-worker, you risk your boss finding out how you really feel about him. Maybe this co-worker has been friends with your boss since high school. Maybe this co-worker knows that you both are up for a promotion and by telling your boss how you really feel will give the co-worker the edge over you. This is just one of many examples, but my point is that it is important to know that voicing your opinion at the wrong time can actually hurt you more than it can help you. Maybe you know that someone is going to do something special for someone's birthday and you tell a friend. Again, you risk this friend blabbing to this person who is getting a surprise for their birthday. Maybe you are in a situation where someone has just lost a family member and you go up to her and give her your opinion on something, whatever it may be. Chances are she will not care what your opinion is on whatever it is you're talking about. Again, remember that not everyone is up for what you have to say 24/7 and knowing when to speak your opinion and when not to, is very important!

Like many things in life there is a time and place for everything, including when to voice your opinion and when to simply listen to someone else's opinion. Not everything in life is about you, so don't make it look that way. Show interest in other peoples' opinions before your own. Being able to voice your opinion can be a great and inspiring thing to do. It may give other people a different perspective on things that they wouldn't have otherwise thought about. Just like the space shuttle, it's not up to just one person's opinions or ideas to make something happen. It is more of having many different ideas and opinions on something to make it happen successfully. By understanding when to voice your opinion and when not to, you can show the greatest respect towards others and maybe learn something yourself in the process.

Having The Drive

Having the drive to do something may not always be the easiest thing to do. You have to have passion for it. Once the passion runs out, then what? You have to want it no matter what, even on the worst of days. I have learned that if you cannot put 110% into it, then you probably shouldn't be doing it in the first place. However, there may be times when you think you'll never have the drive to do something. Then out of the blue, you have so much passion for it, you feel like you have the drive to do whatever it takes to get it and keep it in your life. Many people think that in order to have the drive for something, it has to be something big, like becoming a famous actor or NASCAR driver, making a million dollars, and owning five homes. In my opinion, having the drive for something can be as simple as having the drive to make someone laugh who is having a bad day or is sick, or spending time with your grandmother or another family member. Don't get me wrong now, having the drive to do something big isn't wrong, but it's not the only thing to have a drive for. In my opinion, having the drive for everything you do in life will make you that much happier. Being able to look back and see what you have accomplished by putting 110% into everything, will give you a feeling of confidence as well as know-how. At least it has for me.

However, putting 110% into everything doesn't always have to work out for the best. Sometimes it may seem that you put 110% into something you do and you get no good feeling from it. When I was pursuing my dream of becoming a NASCAR driver (1998-2009), I learned quickly that I had to have the drive to do it or nothing would ever become of my dream. Whether it was my actions, ideas, or even my emotions, I had to make sure I was putting 110% into it. By believing and setting small goals for myself, I was able to go from racing go-karts locally in 2000 to testing a NASCAR Craftsman Truck in Hickory, NC, by 2007. Like I said before though, if you don't feel the passion for what you're doing or you are unable to put a 110% into something, then you probably shouldn't be doing it. That happened to my dream of racing in the very beginning of 2009. After I was involved in a really bad accident in December of 2008, I had a different feeling about my dream of becoming a NASCAR driver. I felt as if it wasn't as important to my life or what I wanted to do with my life. At this point I felt depressed knowing that I spent eleven years of my life pursuing something I ultimately did not want to do. I lost the drive to be a NASCAR driver and spent eleven years to come to that crossroads, but at least I tried. I was always afraid of having that feeling of "I wonder if...." If you find yourself asking the question "I wonder if ..." then you probably should have at least tried.

None the less, having a drive for something is a great thing! I have learned that by having this feeling, you can accomplish anything. You have to feel it and want it. Ultimately that is what "having the drive" is. It's wanting something so badly that you put 110% into getting it no matter what the cost. Now take my dream for example. I had a lot of sacrifices in pursuing my dream. I gave up time with my family and friends, drove cross country for long hours, spent loads of money, had countless nights that I lay awake thinking about what I had to do the next day to get that much closer, etc ... Knowing what I know now, I never would have done half, if not all, of those things, but I did because I had the drive to do whatever I needed to do to become that NASCAR driver. I had people asking me "why are you doing this?" or "why are you investing so much money into this?" No matter what I told them, they never understood why I did what I did. It was because I had the drive to get there. I was putting 110% into my dream no matter what.

Sometimes it is tough when you loose the drive to do something you wanted to do for most of your life. It has long been said however, "when one door closes, another one opens." After I moved back to my hometown, I had to stop and figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I had to find something I was passionate about, something that would give my life meaning. I started working a few different jobs, but only one that has given me that drive to keep doing it. I started substituting at my local school and I now find myself passionate about being a part of so many different lives as well as making a difference in those lives as well. I love being able to go teach kindergarten one day and teach high school English the next. Being able to interact with not only the students in all the different grades, but the teachers and staff as well, has been inspirational. I have really gotten the drive to keep substituting and putting 110% into it. Sometimes that's what happens: "one door closes and another opens." My drive for becoming a NASCAR driver has died, but my passion to substitute and make a difference in this world has been born. If things hadn't happened to me as they did, I'd probably still be putting 110% into racing.

As I go through life, I have found that if you are passionate about accomplishing something, you should have the drive to go out there and do it. Not everything in life is going to work out. So if your drive for something dies, don't worry. I have found that worrying is one of the worst things you can do in any situation. It may lead to poor health issues or a bad attitude towards yourself and others. So before you go down this road, stop and ask yourself, "ok, what's next?" What are you passionate about now? Maybe you're not passionate about anything at this point. Maybe you have to wait and find it further down the road. But my main point is, don't worry that your life is now meaningless just because you lost your drive for something. Not everything in life is instantaneous like getting movies on demand or throwing something in the microwave and having it hot in seconds. You have to have patience and not rush through life.

Having the drive to do something means you are willing to put 110% into it no matter what. It is better to try something then to never try it at all. Never leave yourself asking the question "I wonder if...." Sometimes it's hard when you lose the drive for something you were once so passionate about. "When one door closes, another one opens." Be patient in looking for something you are passionate about or want to have a drive for. Not everything in life is instantaneous and neither is finding something to be passionate about.

Trusting Yourself First

This chapter says a lot about your character and your beliefs. I'm not specifically talking about religion or whether or not you have good character traits or bad ones. More about whether you trust yourself. Would you trust yourself with a heavy decision that had to be made? Would you trust yourself to make the right decision even if the decision you had to make would benefit you and hurt someone else? Would you trust yourself before you would trust someone else? All pretty good questions and at first glance you would probably answer all of them with the best moral answer, but would that be true? A lot of people feel as if they do the right thing no matter what and can trust themselves to do so. But what makes something right and what makes something wrong? For this question to be answered, you have to ask yourself that. It's what makes us understand right from wrong.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from That's My Opinion, Period!by Christopher Greco Copyright © 2011 by Christopher Greco. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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