Is there such a thing as being mindfully opinionated?

I am an extremely opinionated person and I always have been. It has served me well but it has also gotten me into some trouble as well as sticky situations.

I’ve noticed lately, that when I’m giving my opinion without being asked I contemplate that conversations sometimes for hours. I wonder if I really added anything to that conversation by putting that opinion out there. Or if its my ego that needs to feels as if I contributed to that conversation. I am working on my listening skills, as I believe we all should be doing.

I’m trying to be more present in the moment and hear what people are actually saying before I form a response in my head. I think most of us have a on-going conversation in our heads with ourselves and we often will even do that when someone else is talking to us. We think we know what’s best for them, or the situation, or we dont agree with what they are saying so instead of paying attention to that person’s every word we are already building a response in our heads.

I do this all the time, I will be the first to admit it. Lately though I have been catching myself, more often than not, paying attention to my own inner dialogue vs. Someone’s outer dialogue and I need to bring myself back to the present moment. Which sometimes can be in the middle of the their sentence or story. But that’s the first step; catching yourself doing it.

I recognize that people can really truly tell when the person they are talking with is present in the moment vs if they are in their heads. So going forward, this is something I am truly trying to be better at so I can be there for those people and conversations who really deserve it.

I have all the time in the world to have conversations with myself (though the true goal is to silence those conversations in your own mind) so I promise to try and be more respectful and present with every person I come in contact with. And with being present, I believe I’ll be able to control more of my opinions and only give to those people and situations that call for it. Which overall will help my mental health because I wont be debating all day if what I said was okay, to harsh, not harsh enough, not warranted, or if it could’ve even helped.

“When given the choice to be right or being kind, choose kind” – Wayne Dyer

With love, Krista