How to Gossip without Saying a Word

Sometimes secrets are so juicy, they’re bursting with deliciousness.

It can be so hard not to tell a secret, or share a burning thought about someone. This is why we all have our go-to person. The one we say, “You can’t tell anyone I told you…” For me, that person is my mom. She knows more things about more people than they’d like to guess.

Who is your person? Your mom or dad? A best friend? A sibling? Relative?

Women Gossiping by David Castillo Dominici PM

The problem with telling your “one person” is that you’ve broken a confidence, or gossiped, both of which aren’t uplifting or Christlike. Now to be fair, not everything is gossip, but that’s a different post.

So what can you do when you are dying to tell someone something, but you know you should keep it to yourself?

I find it extremely hard to do. I try to take my mind off of it, but the thoughts keep popping up in my head. I try to tell God, which gives me the satisfaction of sharing my secret, but since I can’t see His facial reactions, it doesn’t quite have the same gratification.

But I think I finally have the answer.

I write it down. In my journal. Not any journal – but the journal that contains some of my most guarded secrets, especially the ones that would embarrass me. These kinds of secrets, the ones that you can’t share with anyone, need to go into a journal that you would never let anyone else read for a million years. It’s safe there. Unless someone invades your privacy and reads it–and that’s on them.

If you don’t have a journal that you keep hidden, write it down and stick it in the shredder. I would tell you to burn it, but I’m not sure that’s great advice, and I don’t want to be responsible when you burn your house down. 

The point here is that writing it down releases the secret in a similar way that telling someone does. For me, it gets it out of my head, and I can continue with my day. I haven’t broken confidence, gossiped to anyone, and I’ve practiced self-restraint. Basically, I’ve gossiped to myself, without saying a word.

Q: What do you do when you’re dying to tell a secret, but can’t?

 

 

**photo credit: freedigitalphoto.net by David Castillo Dominici

Comments

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**Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Bethany Jett

Bethany Jett loves sipping coffee and jamming in her planner while raising three boys with her college sweetheart Justin.

August 7, 2013

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2 Comments

  1. Amanda

    I used to burn with secrets and die to tell SOMEONE. I’ve practiced reminding myself that it isn’t my info to share and force myself to put myself in the other persons shoes. How would I feel if that person told their confidante? Doing this for a few years has kinda made the desire go away. I love your suggestion!

    • Bethany Jett

      I love your self-discipline. I look up to you in so many ways! Love you much.