“You can avoid having
ulcers by adapting to the situation: If you fall in the mud puddle, check your
pockets for fish.”
— Author
Unknown.
We all have it: baggage. If we don’t watch it, however, the
baggage creeps up on us insidiously and actively and harms our relationships,
even at an intrapersonal level – we begin to live with indifference.
There must be no limit to the amount of baggage we can carry; we
just load it on, over, within, and through the existing luggage, latticing
complications and emotional effect—to the jettisoning of our spiritual health.
But, what creates baggage?
Relationship outcomes gone wrong and inappropriately coped
with... losses and life blows that are destined to make us stronger weaken us
as we take the wrong road to “healing”... crushing experiences from
childhood... theft of our souls... abuse, neglect, sorrows, death, divorce,
bullying, inauthentic rapport, lack of love, fear etc.
This list is endless. One common denominator, however, is the coping mechanisms we choose to implement.
Go the wrong way and we attract only more baggage, and such intricate little
and bulky large bags, packages, cartons and parcels of fear-producing anxiety.
Go the right way—the narrow path many do not take, for it involves its own
pain—and we alleviate baggage, learning to live, eventually, a free existence.
And this is everyone’s destiny; at least as far as the vast
majority are concerned—those ones who have the capacity to be honest with
themselves. This, of course, is a famous AA truism, enshrined by the biblical
schema.
Honesty is always the best policy when unloading baggage.
We all have it—more or less: baggage. The greatest gift for the
person seeking to offload excess, fear-producing baggage is to simply be
brutally honest about their life; this is to be humble within themselves as to
where they’re truly at.
Seeking the truth in relational outcomes is crucial. Reflecting
over our initiated actions and responses, continually and habitually, calling
ourselves to account, is the only way. Our relationship outcomes are our
biggest indicator of success and failure.
Let’s be honest about the baggage we are so willing to carry,
which does us only harm. Honesty promotes healing.
© 2014 S. J. Wickham.
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