“You are not your opinions” – I ended a 2007 post with this statement. That post is No Room for Hate.
There are educated opinions – a result of thinking through the facts and then making a factual assessment. And there are the opinions I refer to here – thinking that comes from the influence of others; an influence that trumps our own instincts, that wants us to deny our real selves. Eckhart Tolle calls this denial ’ego.’
Our opinions are just that; opinions – everybody has one, right? But where do they come from? They come from others – not from what we really think. It is the ‘should’ versus ‘ought’ issue.
I’ve been reading Eckhart’s book A New Earth. He makes a very interesting point when he says, “The more identified people are with their respective roles, the more inauthentic the relationships become.”
As Leaders, I believe it is important to think about this statement. Detachment from roles is part of what is behind my dedication to helping Leaders know and act on their personal Brand. Letting go of the ‘shoulds’ leads us to being more authentic.
Authenticity is absolutely key to our effectiveness as Leaders.
[...] that too easily spew forth in criticism and harsh response. In the process, we begin to believe our library of opinions represents us in this world. The fact is we stand behind these opinions as a frontiersman stood [...]
[...] authenticity, the flooding force of distraction is more powerful than ever. Busyness joins with the shoulds of others and distracts you from the integrity of [...]
[...] one must facilitate with confidence. This is done by the facilitator who is free of opinion. Opinions may be part of one’s experience, but they do not represent one’s authentic self. [...]
[...] was both challenging and freeing to realize I was not my opinions. Simply put, opinions come only from what is external to you: they are not representative of who [...]