Conflicting Truths: When Motivational Words Of Wisdom Backfire On You!

Have you ever noticed that sometimes those friendly bits of advice and Motivational Words of Wisdom from your friends, family members, co-workers, and overall experts aren't what they seem to be? Has anyone ever given you Motivational Words of Wisdom which seem good at the time only to have someone else give you the opposite advice which makes good sense as well? If so, you have been a victim of the conflicting truths behind motivational words of wisdom.

A conflicting truth is when a statement is true, yet the opposite of that statement is also true. When you have been at certain crossroads in your life has anyone ever said to you “nothing ventured, nothing gained,” and then later on someone else tells you “better safe than sorry?” Out of these two statements, which one do you believe in? Which one do you think is true? The answer is they are both true even though they are completely opposite statements.

That is why you must be very careful as to which pieces of advice and Motivational Words of Wisdom you adhere to. Advice can come from many different sources and go in equally as many directions. That is why you must be very aware of who you're taking advice from. Has anyone ever given you relationship words of wisdom by saying, “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” then after you rest easy in the knowledge that your beloved is pining away for you in your absence someone else tells you to forget about your sweetheart because you're “out of sight, out of mind.” This is a common paradox of the “black or white” method of advice giving which is highly unreliable because it neglects to factor in the vast grey area involved in all interpersonal situations.

Life is full of gray area. Situations are seldom either black or white. In fact it is the gray area of life where all true words of wisdom are born. However, this gray area isn't out in the world somewhere; it's in you. You have it to use whenever you would like. You know when someone tells you that “actions speak louder than words,” they're correct. And you also know that when someone else tells you that “The pen is mightier than the sword,” they are correct as well. It's just up to you to determine which piece of advice is truer at a given point in time based on the gray area. Expand your awareness to include all of that gray area and avoid giving or taking overly simplified black or white blanket statements.

Is “the more, really the merrier,” or is “two's company; three's a crowd” the way to go? In the end it's up to you! Don't buy into someone else's black-and-white, true-or-false way of thinking. Always analyze any Motivational Words of Wisdom you receive against its opposite by finding the conflicting truth and come to your own conclusion based on full awareness.

Don't forget you can seek wisdom from the oldest monk in a meditation temple, or from the youngest kid in a kindergarten class. Age doesn't guarantee wisdom. Unless you believe the saying, “with age comes wisdom,” or does the adage “out of the mouths of babes and sucklings come all wise sayings” make better sense to you? Whatever Motivational Words of Wisdom you put your faith behind simply keep in mind that words of wisdom will forever be at war with conflicting truths. It is your job to become aware of this and be able to cling to the right Motivational Words of Wisdom at the right times.

* CONFLICTING TRUTHS - ACTION STEP *

List a conflicting truth that is currently affecting your everyday life.
Then, record your pro and con feelings regarding the conflicting truths to get a better view of which truth you're putting your faith behind.

Conflicting Truths:

Truth 1 ________________________________

Truth 2_________________________________

Pro Feelings Both Ways:
____________________________________

Con Feelings Both Ways:
_____________________________________

Positive Thoughts For Truth Seekers - Author Joe DePalma is a positive thought writer, musician, and speaker who is collecting the very best positive thinking tools for RISING to the top at www.ReadySetRise.com!
www.readysetrise.com/positive-images-main.php">Positive Images To Inspire - Joe is also the President of the #1 Positive Success Website called www.ReadySetRise.com.