When to Share Your Personal Thoughts

When is it appropriate to share your deeper thoughts and feelings with others and to let them know who you are as a person?

Knowing who to share ourselves with at a more personal level can be a bit risky because we don't know how others will respond, as Josh discovers.

Josh: You can tell me your dream.

Mia: When I was a little girl I wanted to be a princes, you know, with a white dress, gold slippers, a big ballroom... But I guess that's kind of silly.

Josh: Not at all. It's beautiful.

Mia: What was your childhood dream, Josh?

Josh: It's a secret. I've never told anyone this, but I wanted to be known as "Crazy Legs."

Mia: Crazy Legs?

Josh: Yeah, "Crazy Legs" was the nickname of a great football player who could run very fast, but he had skinny legs like mine.

Mia: Crazy Legs! Ha Ha Ha Ha! Wait 'til I tell the girls.

Josh: Oh no!

Okay, Mia can't keep secrets. Maybe you too have been burned trying to express your deeper feelings. So how do we know when it's appropriate to share what's important to us?

I find these questions help me know when it's suitable to share my more personal self.