Ponderings of Scott Gressell and “snoodles”
Guest post by Scott Gressell as a follow up from Wednesday night’s teaching by Sarah Barkan!
The thing that I picked-up was the example of the little “snoodle” guy that kept being given pictures of how stupid he was as viewed by other people. He carried those around on his back and accepted every one of them without objection. I began to think…why does he do that? Why does he accept the opinions of others as accurate rather than his opinion of himself? He accepts them and then carries them around everywhere he goes.
I heard a saying once that says “Opinions are like belly-buttons…everybody’s got one.” One thing I had to learn was to respect others’ opinions…but it doesn’t mean I have to agree with them. I have a very select group of people whose opinions I actually take to heart. The rest need to work a lot harder to convince me. The problem comes in when we just accept the bad opinions along with the good ones out-of-hand without reflecting on what we are agreeing to.
This is when I remembered two illustrations about guarding what thoughts go into your mind.
1st. Illustration:
If someone rang your doorbell, you opened the door and saw a total stranger standing there with an open bucket of red paint asking to come into your house to redecorate it, would you let him in?
“Sure! Come on in!”…to which he would run frantically around your entire house splashing red paint everywhere until it was all used…and then he would leave. Does this sound like a wise thing to do? So why do we do it with people’s opinions and advice? We let them into our minds and give them free reign there.
2nd. Illustration:
What would happen if a total stranger put strychnine (poison) in your coffee.
Answer: Well, you’ld be dead. Correct.
What if they put it in your coffee by accident?
Answer: Well…you’ld still be dead.. Correct.
Conclusion: It doesn’t matter under what circumstances you get the bad stuff- It will still affect you just the same.
What would happen if even your best friend (not even a total stranger) put stricknine in your coffee? Answer: You’ld STILL be dead. Correct.
Conclusion: It doesn’t matter who gives you the bad information, it can still have a devastating effect on your life or on your bank account…whatever the case may be.
…So…watch your coffee…
