Opinions are like....

I've heard the expression thousands of times that opinions are like a**holes because everyone's got one. The truth is that everyone has dozens and dozens of opinions about everything. Even "better" is that everyone loves to share their opinions and then expect you to have the same opinion. That is where my issue lies.
Quite honestly, I am thankful for other people's opinions for a number of reasons. First off, I love peeking into the psychology of how people's minds work. Secondly, I love hearing different people's points of view so that I can form my own opinion based on alot of evidence. Finally, I value the opinions of those I love.
The truth is that you can choose who to listen to and who not to listen to. There is a polite way to listen and then just do what your heart tells you to do. There is a polite way to thank someone for their advice and then choose your own path instead. Frankly you CAN choose to just tell the person giving advice to pack sand but they mostly are just trying to help you not have to deal with the issues they've dealt with in the past.
Another important aspect of this to keep in mind is giving YOUR opinion to others. Most of the time, opinions are given because you don't want someone to hurt or deal with the same things you did. Often, though, people get upset when their loved ones don't take their advice. Somehow, they have come to believe that THEIR opinions are the end-all, be-all of good advice and that there is NO other way to handle things. Just as people all have unique aspects of who they are, everyone has a different way of coping and handling things. Advice IS wonderful but ultimately everyone has to find their own way.