Hey My Loves!
When you go to the airport, you check your bags in and retrieve them at baggage claim when you reach your destination. We often do that in our regular life too: carrying mental baggage with us that we need to just keep at the baggage claim!
I remember a time when I carried so much emotional baggage around that I got to the point where I thought it was normal. I thought that everybody was doing it. It was normal for me to be scared about stepping out of my comfort zone. It was normal for me to hold back my feelings because everybody couldn’t handle them. It was normal for me to bring toxic emotions from previous relationships into new relationships. My idea of “normal” was driving me crazy and I accepted the truth that I was just damaging myself more by repeating the same cycles. Here I was carrying all these suitcases of mess, only to go out and find more garbage to fill my mental with. Then I had people I loved that had so much baggage that I thought it was normal for me to take on their baggage as well. We can’t change who our family members are. But you can choose your friends and significant other. CHOOSE WISELY. In friendships and relationships, people will come with some sort of baggage. You have to ask yourself if it’s something you will be able to handle.
But let’s take a minute and talk about the things you are holding on to that you know isn’t good for you.
Chile, clutter ain’t cute and it never will be. Holding on to dead things is exhausting. Let it go!
There are different types of baggage. We all know at least one person who has too much going on in their personal life and we secretly judge them saying in our heads “they need to get their s**t together.” The sad truth is they are probably saying the same thing about you.
It’s easy to pin point other people’s faults. Do you pin point your own faults? Do you check yourself and say that it’s time to de-clutter your emotional baggage?
Some of the clutter in your life may be caused by other people’s clutter, what other people have done to you, or simply mental thoughts you keep holding on to. The person you are holding a grudge towards has already moved on with their life leaving you with the mental damage. It’s not fair, but you don’t know how to let it go. Let’s be real here. Some of the clutter in your life was caused by you deciding to do something anyway ignoring all the red flags telling you it was not a good idea in the first place. You live and you learn. For the things that didn’t come with a red flag, now you have to figure out how to let the mental garbage go.
The first step is forgiveness. If someone has hurt you and you see that it is affecting your life tremendously, it is time to let it go and forgive them. The strength of forgiveness is not for them, but for yourself. You have the right to be happy and living the life you deserve. You can’t do that if someone is living rent free in your head. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary in order to get over the pain. Even if you have to go through extreme measures to find peace, such as professional help, do whatever it requires to become a better you.
The next step is acceptance. Accept that you are flawed and human. Tell yourself I may not have it all together right now, but I’m willing to take the steps to get there. People and things will cause a reaction to your feelings. You have the power of HOW your reaction will be in situations. If something puts fear in you, find the strength to face it. If you seek validation in others, you need to take out the time and fall in love with yourself. Nothing will be able to fill the voids in your life except you.
The last step is responsibility. You are responsible for YOU. Some things in our life are baggage that we have no choice but to deal with. Some need to be tossed out, but you’re scared because you’re been holding on to it for so long. You have grown accustomed to the mental smell even though it’s stinking up your life. Learn the difference about what you can and can’t control in your life. If it’s not elevating you, eliminate it quickly.
Everybody faces battles that no one knows about. Our mind thinks a million thoughts a day. That’s why it’s important to protect your mental from things that are not healthy for you. You have the power to remove the drama from your life. You have the power to change how you think, behave, and how people treat you.
De-clutter your life. Leave the bad things at baggage claim and don’t look back.
Until next time,
Zip.
oprahzipbradford.com 