STICKING YOUR NECK OUT

Have you ever heard of ‘sticking your neck out?’ A lot of people may have heard of this, and may or may not know exactly what it means or what it refers to. Usually most people assume it is to always put yourself at risk or vulnerability for ridicule, judgment and criticism. And for some reason, this has come to some sort of ‘negative’ type of reference.

My question is, why is everything viewed negatively? Can’t ‘sticking your neck out’ be looked at as courageous or brave, exercising independence and strength to have a voice and be heard?

Creatures in nature like turtles or crabs have a protective shell to stick their necks out and then quickly retreat back in, if thing seem hostile out there and not very friendly.

People really only have the option of being recluse in caveman-hermit style retreat when the going gets tough and ugly.

But why is this so?

Have we become such a judgmental society, quick to pounce on someone’s thought, viewpoint or choice?





Do others think they are superior to slander, demoralize and ridicule someone’s thought, idea or opinion, to prevent them from having the right to have one?
Last I checked, everyone who has an opinion voices it. Those who take risks by stating what’s on their mind usually only get a slap on the hand, a fine and get pulled off the air by the FCC.

This is not to say, to be thoughtless, reckless and not THINK before we speak. But this is to say that very much like everyone’s personal choice to have their own ideas is okay… to have a thought or opinion is okay. To stick your neck out and support a thought or idea that jives with who you are as an individual is okay.

I think we should redefine what ‘sticking your neck out’ means. We should examine it in the same context as self-exploration and exercising thoughts, ideas and opinions, you know similar to writing a letter to the editor or to Congress.
If we apply our anatomy properly, we can get a lot accomplished:

• DO – Keep our noses to the grindstone. DON’T – brown nose or put our noses
where they don’t belong in other people’s personal business.
• DO – Keep our eyes on the ball. DON’T – close our eyes to those in need
of help.
• DO – Keep our ears open to listen to people, hear what they are saying.
DON’T – tune out the voices that could help us develop and grow as human
kind.
• And yes, DO – stick your neck out, be yourself, put your words, voice and
opinion on the line for things you believe in, have a passion for and
support. DON’T – retreat your neck because you’re too afraid of what other
people are going to think about you for being who you are.

Afterall, if we didn’t stick our neck out to be vulnerable, to share perspectives, wouldn’t we all be ostrich, burying our heads in the sand? Who wants to live life like that?

© 2009 Queena Verbosity 100% Real Words
Media Monster Communications, Inc.
Stacey Kumagai
http://www.100percentrealwords.blogspot.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/mediamonster
http://www.braingasm.com