Well said, Eleanor.

Recently I encountered a situation in which my beliefs (particularly my beliefs in the Mormon church) were criticized (surprise, surprise.) At first, this left me feeling offended and angry. But then with time, I realized the importance of being questioned in what you believe, because it helps you to either become more firm in your beliefs, or realize that maybe you need to reconsider some things. For me, I became more firm in what I believe as I thought critically about what it is and why I believe it.

Now, I do not want this to be a post preaching what I believe and why. But rather I'd like to share a "fancy that" moment I had from this experience. I came to realize that no matter where I go or what I do with my life, there will always be someone there to say "Hey! You're not doing it right." No matter if it is religion; choice in occupation; how you raise your children; your political views; the way you spend your money; the type of food you eat; the sports team you support; etcetera, there will ALWAYS be someone there to disagree. And the fact of the matter is, who cares? I believe it is healthy and important to engage in debate to reassure yourself of what you believe and why. However I do not believe in forcing what you believe on others. 

How lucky are we to live in a world (especially here in the United States) where we are able to make decisions for ourselves and to live the way we choose; the way that makes us happy. For those of us here in America, I feel this is something often taken for granted. We spend so much of our time fighting for the changes we want to make, or to keep things the same, that we forget to step back and be thankful for the fact that we are able to engage in these debates. We are all entitled to our own opinions and have the right to share them (not to force them upon others.) 

I could not have said it better than Eleanor herself. "Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you will be criticized anyway." How true this statement is. I believe that we should all live the way that we feel in our heart to be right. Because there is no happier way to live. I can't imagine living a life where I felt in my heart I was doing the wrong thing. I hope that nobody lives this way because I imagine it is a very unpleasant and empty way to live. At the end of the day, don't worry about living in a way to just please the views and opinions of others. Maybe you don't all believe in a God. And that is okay...but I do. And I believe that God does not want us to live unhappily. As for me, I feel that the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are true. It is what makes me happy, it is the way I choose to live, it is what I feel in my heart to be right. 

PS: I finally figured out how to make the text larger, so no need for the magnifying glass this time friends.