"Other's Opinions"-Ha2ku by ha2tim

Image by loswl via Flickr

Other's opinions/
about you don't count unless/
you accept their truth/


This verse allows me to deal with one of my favorite subjects. Before I get into dealing with anything let us recap. I need to make clear that I am basically gearing you up for battle. Every good warrior is always taking care of her/his weapons. The weapon we explored last week was the imagination and how this weapon was mightier than any sword if weilded by the right champion, but was very dangerous if weilded by a chump. Today this verse gives me the opportunity to talk about self definition. This very idea allows you to free up your imagination so that you can use it to better your life.
The power to define is very important, but I find it strange that it is often overlooked and so easily given away. I remember being in church and hearing that one of the first gifts that God gave Adam was the power to name and define all the animals. This gave Adam dominion over all of Earth's creatures. When you allow others to "define you", you give them dominion over you. They are able to rightfully rule you. This goes on everyday power is maintained by those that do the defining.Governments want to count and label their population. Companies want to define their customer base, and demographic. Schools want to label our children, and your job wants to label and define you. When we give our power to define away, by bending to people's ideas about us, and to their opinions we weaken our Axe'. When we bow to the definitions that our put us by indivduals,groups, governments, religions, and etc we give away our axe' and allow it to be exploited by people or institutions that may not have our best interest at heart.
Who are you? Take time and explore you. Define yourself for yourself, and allow that definition to ring out into the world around you. Hold to your definition because in it is your power. Never fear exploring it more and adding and taking away as you grow, but always remember that is something for you to decide, and no one else. Other's peoples opinions of you did not create you and trust me they can not destroy you either. Other people's opinions are just that "other people's" , be kind let them keep their opinions because "their opinions" may be all they own.