Confusing passion with pushing....

"Your current safe boundaries were once unknown frontiers"

Not so long ago I was that woman who argued with a subject I did not know enough about.  I believed what I believed, simply because it's all I had ever known.  No research to back it up, no passion driving my thoughts and worst of all, no WANT to better myself.  Certainly far to stubborn to challenge my unfounded beliefs!

My stubbornness and desperate fight to 'win' the argument was simply that, I wanted to win the argument and defend all that I have ever known.
I would get angry, pushy and loose all control.

I then had my children and realised all that I thought I knew, didn't matter.  I had a clean slate and an amazing opportunity to better myself FOR my children.  I soon found the more I challenged my beliefs, the more I learnt, the more I learnt the better person and mother I became.

I was one of the lucky ones, I learnt quickly that what I thought I knew, wasn't necessarily true, fact or right!
I learnt to shut my mouth and listen, almost as much as I spoke;)

I worry that as humans we don't hit our full potential because we are so busy, constantly justifying our past actions, we loose the chance to better our future ones.

Now when I come across a topic that can cause heated debates, I remember we have to be careful not confuse our passion with being pushy.  Pushing a topic or belief can help bring it to people's attention BUT I must remember many people are where I was.  Stuck, in their own beliefs, not willing to challenge them and are quick to tell me to stop pushing.
  Am I pushing?  Or is this part of them being scared that all they've ever known, may be wrong?

Hopefully one day they will realise and see my passion for what it is.  I'm so glad I started to challenge, all I ever knew and continue to question what I think I know........

Knowledge is power and chance to live a better life.