Extra Baggage

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately. Traveling for me involves a lot of luggage. I bring gifts when I visit friends and family, it’s the Hawaiian in me.. One suitcase is dedicated to gifts. But honestly, even without the gifts, I tend to carry too much around with me.  Life is full of symbolism, so it made me ask myself what am I carrying around that doesn’t serve me? 

Ooooh! I got a lot of answers to that question.  Here are a few: the weight of feeling unworthy, incapable, and incompetent. The negative thoughts like I’m too old, I don’t know how, I don’t have the resources.  Here’s some really heavy ones - regrets of the past,  like working too much while I was raising my daughter, decisions I wish I could change.  But here is the thing, I HAVE NO CONTROL OF THE PAST. I CAN’T CHANGE IT, none of us can.

So I imagined filling a large suitcase with all my regrets, negative thoughts, and self berating accusations. I made myself feel the weight of it. I recognized that I was being mean to myself by carrying it all. It is pointless.  I saw  myself lugging that baggage up to a high mountain top and throwing it off. As it fell, it caught on fire, it was gone.  Big sigh.

I could feel the relief. I felt lighter.  Afterwards, and this is important, I filled myself up with light and love. I filled the spaces where I was carrying all the weight - my mind, my heart, my gut, and I filled it with affirmations. I am worthy. I am capable, everything I need is within me. The Universe is limitless and I have access to all the resources I need to succeed and be happy. I am guided and directed in all things. I am blessed and protected in all ways. 

 I encourage you to do this, or a similar exercise.  It’s not a one and done thing. But we can get in the practice of catching ourselves when we think something negative about ourselves, or feel regret.  Take a breath. Make this moment forward one of positivity, of progress and of love.  You cannot be discouraged when you look at experiences as learning opportunities.  As Wayne Dyer said: Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it is always your choice. Choose to be your best self, every day, every hour, over and over.  

God bless you. If this was helpful, please share it.  Thank you.