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I keep finding myself giving my opinion about things. Things that are really none of my business. Things that I don't have a deep understanding of. Things that are unimportant. And I feel like that is generating a lot of negative energy around me.
So I spent some time thinking when an opinion is generating positive energy and when it is generating negative energy. I found that I feel like there are times to express your opinion and times instead to express your intention and times when you are expressing your opinion when you should really be expressing your intention.
It is important to express my opinion when someone is asking me to share my expertise.
Where I am an expert, because of my knowledge (as an experienced cake decorator, as a mother) or because of my familiarity with the subject (as a user of a product or service), I should express my opinion.
This is a time for talking.
This is time for giving positive energy.
This is where I guide the path for others in the world by sharing experiences and lessons.
It is important to express my intention when I am a participant.
Where I am a participant (the parent of a student), I should express my intention. And I should ask the expert in that area to express their opinion.
This is a time for listening .. to myself, to the expert, to the universe.
This is a time for receiving positive energy.
This is where I trust to be guided on the path to my intention through experiences and lessons.
When I am a participant and I am expressing my opinion, I am trying to control the path or the outcome.
This is a time when I am talking (usually complaining or trying to illicit a particular answer to validate myself) and should instead be listening.
This is a time when I am generating negative energy.
Think about it like being the parent of a child who struggles in math. In this situation you are the participant and the teacher is the expert.
A positive communication would be to reach out to the teacher and express your intention "I would really like my daughter to improve her math grades." And then you listen to the teacher describe the issues your child is having and you listen to the suggestion that she has to help your daughter improve. Perhaps the teacher will ask you to share your opinion as the expert of how your child is handling their math homework.
A negative communication would be to reach out to the teacher and express your opinion that the math curriculum is too challenging for your child and the the teacher needs to spend more time working with your child.
Which do you think will manifest the more positive result for your child?
The next time I am having a discussion I am going to try to remember if I am the expert or the participant and see if I can't engage in more positive communication.