My mom taught me many valuable life lessons while I was growing up, and she continues to remind me of those lessons today. Something she is constantly reminding me of is that if I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. I would hope that you've also heard this growing up. I'm here to remind you to do the same thing.

Our generation seems to have forgotten about this unspoken rule. Everyone believes they are the best thing in the entire world and that everything that they have to say has to be heard right at that moment or else all hell will break loose. If you're this kind of person I am going to kindly ask you to please shut up for half a second and think before you speak. Really, actually think about what you are about to say to someone whether it is just the two of you, a small group of friends, or (especially) in public. Because once it's out there, it's out there. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But that is all that they are: opinions. Not all of your thoughts and ideas and beliefs are commandments that everyone should live by. The ground that you walk on is not holy.

Everyone has opinions and everyone has feelings. When your opinions are ones that are going to hurt someone else's feelings, they should probably be kept to yourself. Write them down on paper, then throw that piece of paper away. Write a strongly worded email, then delete it. Draft a tweet or a Facebook post, then DON'T POST IT. There is a fine line between expressing your opinion and complaining and ranting. Do not cross this line all the time on every single social media platform that exists. It is annoying. It is unnecessary. Most of the time, it is rude and nobody actually cares what you're ranting about.

When you make the decision to express an opinion, it needs to be expressed respectfully and orderly. The point of sharing an opinion is to share your thought process, ideas, beliefs, and standing on an issue in hopes that others will see things in the same light as you. It is not the point of sharing an opinion to bash someone else's thought process, ideas, beliefs, and standing on an issue simply because a different light shines on theirs. That is rude. Don't be rude.

You're supposed to have opinions. You're supposed to want to express them. You're legally allowed to express them to whoever, whenever, wherever, and (mostly) however you want to. But keep in mind that by expressing your opinions you are giving others in earshot the right to express theirs back and that their opinions might be different (and better) than yours. This leads to conversations. Conversations are good. Conversations promote intellectual thinking. Intellectual thinking leads to great things happening. If everyone had the same opinions, this world would suck. There would be no conversations. There would be no intellectual thinking. There would be one great thing instead of the millions we have today. There would only be one kind of ice cream. And that would make me sad.

Don't make me sad. Have opinions. Learn how to respectfully express them. Learn how to have conversations with people. Trying to force your opinion down someone else's throat is not the way to get them on your side and will leave you with no friends and no ice cream.