I browse twitter and am stopped dead by a tweet. It's so opposed to my world view that I dive into the comments, scrambling to find others that will push back against this and reinforce my view. Scrolling the replies is a rollercoaster, "Yes, Yes, That's it... What? Idiot... On Point...Are you for fucking real... Yes, thank you.... Ahhh, you've got to be joking!" People's opinions are everywhere.

If you are describing someone as opinionated you probably aren't complimenting them. So why is this seen as such a negative? Should we not welcome people's views?

The problem doesn't lie in people having an opinion. After all "Opinions are like arseholes, we all have them." We only get into difficulties if we believe there is no room for other people's views.

As I continue my on-line writing challenge, I have given me the opportunity for self-reflection - a chance to try and understand myself a bit better. The on-line part of this has meant challenging the ego and sharing my messy growth with the World. I'm now realising how important this is in the journey.

I have needed to check my reason for sharing these opinions. Am I putting stuff out there for likes and self-gratification - coming from a "what will others want to hear" perspective? Am I putting stuff out there realising that it's all work in progress? With the push back on what I share, do I go on the defensive or do I take this opportunity to hear another view point and deepen my understanding?

So I aim to celebrate the sharing of my opinions, the embracing of others opinions and the rich discussions that are born from this.