My 9 year old daughter has been struggling with her emotions lately. It starts as silence then a headache and stomach ache. I’ve tried to find out what’s bothering her but I don’t get very far. The other night after dinner I asked her to follow me into our sunroom. I pulled her up on my lap and asked her what was bothering her. After some prodding she said that she really missed her mom.

We talked for 20 minutes about how it’s ok to miss someone you love who has died. I told her some special things about her mom and how much her mom loved her. But mostly I shared with her about how important it is to talk about what’s bothering you. At the end of our conversation she felt much better. Her aches and pains disappeared and she was her beautiful vibrant self again.

I think that’s one area that we as adults, and we as sales people fail. Being older and more “wise” we hold our feelings in thinking we have to put on a strong front. In some cases that may be true but in most cases we are doing more damage than good.

Take a look around your circle of influence. Is there someone who you are close with that you can share your feelings with? Someone who cares? Find that person and make a lunch appointment or phone appointment with them. I think you’ll find that, like my daughter, you’ll not only feel better but you’ll have built a relationship with a friend.