Be an Independent Thinker

A Guest Post from Dionna Sanchez:

*HOME IMPRESSIONS*
Independent Thinkers ~ By Dionna Sanchez

We live in a world where "going with the pack" is not only acceptable, but encouraged. People do not like it when someone does or thinks something that is different or "out of the box." I think it's because they are afraid. They are afraid of what they don't know.

I have always wanted to be an independent thinker. I want to do, be, and think the right thing - whether or not the rest of the people around me are doing, thinking, and being it as well. Of course I would prefer it if they were - but if they are not, it is more important to me, that I use the brain that God has given me to do the right thing. Sometimes that's really hard.

When I was in a Family Health class in high school, our teacher once asked us to divide up into groups. He asked us to move to one side of the room if you thought living together before marriage was okay, move to one side of the room if you thought living together before marriage was wrong, and to stay in the middle if you were unsure. I was the ONLY ONE who thought living together before marriage was wrong. That was hard for me. It wasn't hard for me to admit what I believed, but it was hard for me to stand up for it in front of my high school peers. But I did. And it felt really good.

After class, I remember someone came up to me and they told me that they really respected me for standing up for what I believed in. I have never forgotten that. It could have been so different if I had chosen to conform to what everyone else was thinking or doing.

As a parent, I want to teach my children to be independent thinkers. I want them to not simply blindly trust what is told to them, but to use their brains to think about it. I want them to learn how to problem-solve. Do you know that a lot of store clerks these days do not know how to truly help a customer because they don't think about it? They simply go with store policy or read what is on the tag. Well, I could have done that! They don't know how to look at a situation or dilemma, use their brains, and come up with a solution. I've had it happen to me time and time again.

We need to teach ourselves to be independent thinkers so that our children can learn to be, as well. We need to remember that although everyone else in our city may vote for one person for President, or think that one movie is really okay to see, that they all may be wrong. Because a lot of people go with the pack instead of thinking things through for themselves. It's a big part of why our society is on a downward spiral.

It may be hard to encourage your child to stand up and take a stand for a different viewpoint or action, and at times, you or your children may even be blasted for it in some way. But it's worth it to know that you are using your brain and your heart in a way that the Lord would condone instead of simply letting your brain muscles sit there - unstretched and untapped.

Be an independent thinker. You may just make a difference.


~ Dionna Sanchez is the Founder of the Emphasis On Moms Ministry dedicated to helping moms learn the freedom in their roles as mom, wife, and woman. Visit today at http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com