Anyone who knows me well knows that I have strong opinions. My ideas are typically well thought out and I do my best to support these opinions with facts. I have also learned how to articulate my opinions and simply, yet with strength, make my ideas clear.

So why is it that I was always so afraid to share these opinions, specifically through social media?

We have reached a time period where people have more access to information than they ever have before. This information presents itself in numerous ways, and we have the power to use this information however we want. We use it to create opinions and beliefs, to fuel our existing thoughts and to educate ourselves and others. However, we are also often misinformed, and the plethora of information that floats around can sometimes be overwhelming. This creates situations in which people turn against each other because of their opinions and make unwarranted assumptions about those people.

We are so quick to turn on each other.

I never wanted to feel put down simply because I believed in something. I didn't want to be told how stupid it was or how ignorant I am for thinking what I think. If I express my support for the Black Lives Matter movement, I would be attacked because people would automatically assume I am against the police. If I express my hatred for Donald Trump I'm immediately categorized as a Hillary supporter. I have seen friends tear each other apart on social media due to contrasting opinions. That wasn't something I wanted to be a part of.

But over time, I have gained even more confidence in myself and what I believe. I believe strongly in the power of conversation, in power of being open minded and thoughtful to what others say and feel and think. Because there are so many things we are expected to form strong opinions about, we forget to talk about what is going on in our heads and why we feel a certain way. We lack patience and understanding. We lack the motive to gain knowledge and instead we simply assert ourselves as greater than others because of our impatience. We think it's more important to talk than to listen. We think every situation is separated by a brick wall of right and wrong, when the world is so much more complex than that. It's okay to be opinionated and stand up for what you believe, but do it with respect. Stand up with knowledge and not pride. It is so important to have the conversations that challenge our beliefs, the conversations that make us uncomfortable, for those are the times in which we can learn the most.

If voicing my opinion means starting those conversations, then I will no longer hold back.