My Position On Opposition - Grasshopper

“When opposition is your position, you’re dead in the water in moving forward.” So said The Grasshopper the other day.

There are opposing viewpoints and then there are brick walls. When you run into one, there can be a conversation. When you run into the other, adjust your rudder and sail away from the fray.

Some people are naturally oppositional, maybe it’s you.

The telltale sign is they say, “black” and you say, “white” all day and into the night. That means opposition is your predictable position. In people helping jargon it’s known as a polarity response.

Now I could give you a long history of how it developed but that would only be a history lesson which takes you back in time instead of moving you forward.

Sticking to your guns is a way of life for some, but that position keeps you stuck in place. Getting unstuck is a bit of a sticky wicket because we have to admit the words that couldn’t leave the TV character Fonzie’s lips: “I was wrong.”

But before we get to the admission stage, we have to get a clue that our opposition keeps us stuck in glue.

This doesn’t mean you can’t be opposed to something, we all are. We have our beliefs and causes that just aren’t negotiable for us. That’s being stedfast, not polar opposite.

The downside of being constantly oppositional is you miss out on opportunities to grow because your automatic response is “No.” You’re like a horse with blinders who can only see the fence instead of the vast fields you can romp in.

When you feel your opposition rising up, take a breath . . . and interrupt what you were about to do or say and see if another action or response comes your way. That’s a gentle way of admitting to yourself that you may be wrong and see what new position comes along.

Being oppositional limits your options. If you’re looking for more of what life has to offer, stop going from one pole to the other, and start using your flexibility as your rudder.

All the best,