Don't hold inside your feelings, your thoughts, your hopes. Share them with your friends and family. People who hold things inside tend to feel isolated, believing that others do not understand them.
Those who share feel both supported and more content, even if events do not go exactly as they wish.
Rose has been an artist for many years. In her spare time she would paint beautiful watercolor landscapes. From time to time, she would display her work in the local art show or have some of her pieces shown in a small art shop and gallery. Whenever her family asked her about her art, their question was either "Did you sell anything?" or "How much did you make?" Rose felt like this wonderful form of expression, this way of being herself that was so important to her, was completely misunderstood. She wasn't trying to make money, she didn't care if it sold. She painted for herself, not for profit. Every time she was asked whether she made any money, she would churn inside.
Why don't they understand me? Rose wondered. Why do these people, who should be so close to me, seem so distant and removed? These thoughts grew inside of her and caused her to become less comfortable around her family. Then Rose realized that her family couldn't read her mind and that part of the reason they didn't understand her was that she hadn't explained what was really important to her.
Individuals who tend to be socially open rate their overall life satisfaction 24 percent higher than individuals who do not.
Finch, Barrera, Okun, Bryant, Pool, and Snow-Turek 1997
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