Skip to main content

Who can I trust?

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography

Self-Reflection is something I am still exploring every day of my life. I am trying to get better at it, but after 51+ years it is difficult. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks, or can you?

My decisiveness or an all or nothing (Dogmatic view) way of thinking is irrational thinking. I (and you) are bombarded via social media, news, and even with the conversations with friends and family to think and in many cases react/think this way.

I think I am right with my thinking and rational decisions. It is part of my defense mechanism. It is natural and promoted in our culture. The problem is not this way of thinking, but the fact that I tend to shut out or not listen to other points of view. I hear a topic or subject and immediately form or have formed an opinion about it, without listening. This is how my brain works.

So how am I going to change? I am going to rely on my wife and a very select few people to not just tell me what I want to hear, but when I tell them how I am thinking and feeling on a subject, then ask if I am ‘right’, I will hopefully have a strong enough relationship with that person and trust that I can listen and accept an opposing point of view. Listen before I set my mind. I have to get outside of my head and confide in others to get there. I want to keep maturing and grow up.

I know I have to change, to pivot the direction of my brain. The key aspect I want to change is my reaction to things. I can control my reactions through baby steps. Small changes and quit taking everything as a personal attack. Especially when another view differs from my own.

I have often said the key to any relationship is trust and communication. 95% of my communication is in my head. That is what I plan to change. I am wanting to talk things out (sorry dear), and ‘try’ to accept others’ perspectives (those I trust). I am looking for a few folks to keep me grounded and keep me in line. Any takers?

I will leave you with a quote from John F. Kennedy “Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” I am a thinker, but I strive to be a communicator as well.

Until next time,

Tim

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Love to get your feedback on what you read!

Popular posts from this blog

Nova Scotia - Day 5

Day 5. September 29, 2022. Today would be a bit of a longer day of travel, but we saw sights that surprised me. I guess I now know why Nova Scotia means New Scotland. The morning began as normal, but this time packing up our stuff to head to the next location. We had a Merci chocolate bar, and our receipt was left for us by our host. Our first stop was breakfast. We heard about a place that served breakfast, so we backtracked to Portside Lounge and I had the best pumpkin spice French toast I have ever eaten. Marcie got the same but couldn’t finish her portion, so extra for me. Our first destination was Cape Forchu Light House . It is a lighthouse like no other. The light house sat high on a rocky hill and is at the bottom of Nova Scotia. I remember looking out at sea and thinking that if a boat went straight, it would not hit land until the Bahamas. There was a visitor center (closed) and walking paths around the place. There was even a pole with destination markers on it. Everywhere ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vedawoo - part 4

Photo by: Tim Bindner We continued our trip with multiple trip to Laramie, Wyoming, visiting an old prison and various restaurants. One trip took to a wonderful spot called Vedawoo. Vedawoo is hard to describe. It sounds simple when I describe it as large and sometimes massive rocks stacked up all over an area, but honestly, that is what it is. Some rocks are the size of basketballs, while others are the size of buildings stretching hundreds of feet in the air. Mark picked us up in the truck and we took the short drive to Larame, then past the town another 20 minutes, where we left the pavement and down a dusty road, the rock formations appeared all around us. The Native Americans named this place Vedawoo which translates to ‘Land of the Earthborn Spirits’. Pulling into one of the parking lots, I was in ah of the pink feldspar, white quartz, black specs and horneblende rocks towering into the sky. This place had a magic about it. We walked, explored, climbed a little and, of course, to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Halloween scare

Photo by: Tim Bindner Saturday morning, I headed out for a short hike at Mt. Saint Francis. My legs were recovering from the previous day’s walk around Cave Hill Cemetery, so I went somewhere close. I made the 4.02 hike, but learned some things along the way. It was still dark when I arrived in the parking lot. My car was the only one there, and I liked the thought of being completely alone. As I walked a familiar route down toward the lake, the 38 degree weather invigorated me. My lungs filled with the cool air and boosted my energy. As I got closer to the lake, I could see steam rising from the lake, and quickly captured this shot above. I again chose color to shoot today, due to the beautiful leaves that provided me with a perfect canvas upon which to shoot. Today I brought my older model Fuji XT-1 camera with my $25 vintage lens. I felt it was appropriate and hoped this older camera and lens would provide me a fresh look to one of my favorite trails. The trails weren’t...
Post a Comment
Read more