How Heavy Is Your Suitcase?

Suitcases are very useful aren't they...great for carrying stuff from one place to another or for putting things in that we don't know what to do with or cant make a decision about. In fact suitcases are a great place to store things we aren't prepared to deal with. The problem is that over time we have filled so many suitcases that we are no longer able to move, worn out from lugging these heavy cases from one place to another.
          This is a great metaphor to describe what we also do with our emotional baggage.   Instead of dealing with things that push our buttons or make us feel uncomfortable as they happen, we stuff them into our metaphorical "suitcase" to be dealt with later or hopefully ignored then forgotten.  The reality is that these emotional problems typically don't go away on their own.  They are stored throughout the body and begin to cause disease.  The sheer weight of all that stuff you have stored in all those suitcases and are carrying around has to have an impact on your physical, emotional and spiritual self, sooner or later.
          Emotional baggage can prevent you from being able to move on with your life and find happiness and success in relationships, business and family. You begin to frame your life around the baggage, you build up walls to support the burden you are carrying until one day you find that everything begins to tumble out of control....your suitcases burst open and the mess that comes out leaves you confused, bewildered and wondering what the heck happened!
          How do you recognize that you are carrying emotional baggage? Ask yourself the following questions:
Is my mind constantly chattering about emotional hurt, confusion, bewilderment, self righteousness indignation, and jealousy?

• Q.  Do I keep replaying emotional scenes over and over again in my mind?
• Q.  Am I constantly re-visiting things that happened to me in the past?
• Q.  Do I want to talk about it all the time to whoever will listen?

If you answer YES to just one of those then it more than likely that you are carrying emotional baggage. So what can you do about it?

• Step 1 - is to decide that you have had enough of this experience... you are done with lugging these heavy suitcases around with you everywhere you go.  You want to feel lighter, freer and in charge of your Self.
• Step 2 - is to make a commitment to yourself to do something about it... with the best will in the world if you are not committed to the process its not going to happen.
• Step 3 - is to acknowledge that you were the one to pack these suitcases - no-one made you stuff them to capacity - it was solely your responsibility.

Now you are ready to open those suitcases...

• Take one step at a time.
• Don't try and tackle everything all at once.
• Start with what is fresh in your mind right now, the most recently packed item - it should be easier to deal with because the incident is fresh in your mind. 
• Be prepared to spend quality time with each item as you unpack it...be systematic, brave and ruthless.
• If you can't do it on your own - seek the help of a friend, or a coach.
• Celebrate your victories - however small - with each item dealt with you will walk taller, feel lighter and feel great, emotionally and physically. 
• Above all be patient with yourself and the process.  It may have taken you many, many years to pack those suitcases, for sure its going to take time to unpack and deal with each item as it comes up.

Ahhhh - see how much lighter you feel just thinking about it... now imagine what it will feel like when you are done!