Thinking For Your self!
My mother always told me that I
didn’t follow the crowd and that I would just do what I wanted, which was
sometimes with the crowd but often times not!
As a kid I always liked everyone
for the most part. In high school
and in junior high I wasn’t oblivious of the clicks but I constantly countered
the pressure to be in one of them.
It was a natural instinct in me.
I later married a “black man” and depending on which side of this
country you lived on this was “against the grain” so to speak. I had “home-births” and decided to “home-school”
as well as be a “stay at home” mom!
Being a Christian and follower of Jesus has been my own decision and not
based on churchy people, parents or friends. In fact many years ago I was ready to give up the whole Jesus
thing, which made me seek out many answers to my deep- hearted questions in
life. I know better now as to why
I believe the way I do and that is good for me.
The interesting thing that happens
when you make choices based on your own “thinkage” is that you don’t feel the
need to argue, persuade or force someone to feel, think or choose like yourself. You lose the need to convince another as
a means to feel more secure about your own decision because you’ve already made
it in a healthy and stable way.
This has brought much freedom in my life. Lots of so called, non-conformity in my life choices and I
won’t even get into political by- partisan issues! Sheesh! Each time I was met with disdain or opposition and
differences of opinion I usually listened and thought through the arguments. One question to ask your self in these
situations is, “do I want to be like this person that I’m following?” Truly I look back and this is what I definitely
did and still practice doing today.
Typically I come back to my original decision but being open-minded has
convinced me to do the opposite as well.
At least I knew that I wasn’t setting out to make a decision simply
based on trying to be a “non conformist” which by the way, I rejected that
click as well. At the end of the
day I am glad about my decision making process and it comes down to thinking
for yourself and not allowing persuasion to move you with dysfunction.
Recently I’ve
looked into On-line schools and after thinking it through and researching
much. I’ve come to my conclusion. There is a stigma to all of the things
I’ve mentioned above and there is one to on-line schools as well that I’m
willing to deal with. This goes on
and on depending to whom you are talking to. This school that school, Christian or home-school, working
mom, stay at home mom, rich, poor, black or white. Seriously we will be tossed to and fro if we don’t know why
we think the way we do. This
doesn’t always mean you think you are right but rather you made a decision in
the right way for the right reasons.
This isn’t a quick and easy route!
The quick and easy route is to follow the masses. The wise and stable way to make
decisions is laborious and time consuming. Most people will not take the time to even think anymore. I see this so much in our health care
system. Do what the doctor says
because they must know best? Not a
good way to process. I’ve learned
that to trust God and seek his wisdom with my decisions, to have a stabilizing
affect. James 1:6 “But when you
ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person
with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and
tossed by the wind.” This has
proven to bring much peace and stability in my life.
I’ve seen myself and others be tossed back and forth like a
piece of garbage in a windstorm by the media, advertising and even their own
friends and family. This political
season is bringing so much of this type of wind, in fact, it’s a storm and no
one seems to be going inside to just think alone. If you try thinking for yourself, you’ll have to face
opposition, disdain, prejudice and more.
This is the truth but it does set you free from the storm.
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