Opinions, They are yours only! (Walking Through Illusion, Thompson)

"Remember your first opinion?  Remember what happened to it?  Remember why it changed?  Every belief is meaningful until another one comes along to love you more."  Betsy Otter Thompson

     In Walking Through Illusion, there is a family conflict between two brothers, Seth and Matthew.  Seth has a bad opinion of his family and begins to spread his opinion to others.  Matthew, wanting to stop this, asks Jesus how.  Jesus' advice is to "Highlight his strengths instead of his weaknesses...and let the focus shift."  Matthew, reluctantly, followed Jesus' advice.  If he wanted Seth to stop saying negative remarks about their family, possibly, focusing on Seth's positive qualities instead of putting him down might change him around.  Why was he saying negative remarks about the family in the first place?  Maybe he wasn't getting the love he needed and therefore for formed a negative opinion.  To conclude, Seth did have qualities to be admonished by Matthew and Seth loved hearing them.  There was a turn around in their relationship.
     The point Thompson is making is to look at ourselves when things are not going the way we want them to.  If someone is talking mean about you, are you talking mean about them to other people?  Why not start finding the good in that person?  Possibly, you will be able to turn a situation around just like Matthew did with Seth.   Opinions are your own to change or not change as you will.  I changed a negative opinion about a girlfriend of mine into a positive one and we are now better friends; a friendship I enjoy very much.  Remember:  You can change your opinion.  You have the power.