How open should I be?

If there is one thing that I truly am struggling with right now, it's how open I should be with those around me....or what do I share and to whom and at what time? I said something to a friend last night about something...actually, there were two separate instances with two different people and I shared two different topics with them. I'm not sure I should've shared either one...just yet. And to help matters, I just commented on a friends blog about her last blog entry. It sparked more thought on this topic of sharing. It's not a question of sharing or writing on my blog or being open; but what I say in confidence to someone. Specifically, when is the right time to share it?

There are some instances that I am clear on the timing of sharing something. But there are others that baffle me...mostly because they are highly emotional or spiritual....and recently, I've shared the wrong thing to the wrong people in both instances. The people aren't wrong in themselves; I just didn't choose the right person to share the topic with.

I guess my problem with what I shared last night is that I realized immediately after saying something that I wasn't ready to share either one. It was not the right time because I'm simply not at a place to confidently discuss either one in a good, encouraging manner.

It's in this that I'm learning to retract a bit of my very obvious penchant to be open. Sometimes you can choose wrong people to confide in. I've learned this the hard way; and it seems that I haven't exactly learned all I need to in this area...because I still have a tendency to choose the wrong people to confide in.

I don't mean in any way that any one of my friends is not worthy of sharing with. I should never ever complain about not having great, trustworthy friends. I am eternally blessed with the friends I have made over my lifetime...from CA to here, Indiana, and the ones I will make later in life. God has truly blessed me in this area. But sometimes you can reveal something to someone that isn't at a good place in their own life that what you say can 1) fuel their fire (which is not what it was meant to be) or, 2) be taken wrong, perceived in the wrong way, or 3) it can make it look as if you are stepping on their toes or not respecting them in some way. I hate when any of those things happen; and I've recently had to deal with that issue, again.

But, yes, I also know that I can't beat myself up for sharing with someone, who I originally thought was the right person. I have to let things go...but I can learn from it and make an even better decision next time.

Making decisions have not always been my strong point but they aren't my weakest point anymore, either. I've truly grown in that area. Still, I struggle with the age old "keeping up with the Joneses" because I have many friends who nearly always make the best decisions and I want to be like them. But I wouldn't be here today if I didn't sometimes make mistakes. It's learning from some mistakes that leads to the best decisions in the long run....and in turn can lead to making a better decision the first time around.

Isn't it cool how that works? Good thing that God didn't make us perfect; life would be boring and we'd never learn anything or appreciate where we are or who we are. I'm very greatful that He loves me just the way I am at any moment...and that He's given me the capacity to learn, grow and live life being really me, which is unique to everyone else....even if sometimes I make a wrong decision.