How does one move forward when there is still so much baggage to carry?
Moving away and starting anew was so much easier when I first started this journey 30 some years ago. I moved away from Hawaii with 8 boxes - no luggage - and $200 in my pocket. No relationship...no children...no obligations. I had a place to stay for a month and I found a job within a week of my arrival to the City. The world was my oyster!
As I sit here, taking a break from writing my memoir about those years, I can't help but feel anxious about my next chapter in life. I have the urge to move on yet feel so stuck with the baggage I have accumulated.
We all have baggage...some more than others. Some of us actually enjoy carrying around the baggage and accessorize it to make it more bearable and pretty to look at. Some of us simply ignore it and give it attention only when necessary.
I could give in to feelings of anger and depression and start to feed my mind with negative thoughts about having baggage but where would that get me? I would spiral down into a hot mess and that would not be attractive. Been there. Done that.
What is attractive? A grateful heart, kind words, sincere acts of kindness and confidence. When I take my eyes off of my baggage and reach out to others with pure love, my energy level soars and I begin to see my life change in directions I could only dream of.
When I made a shift a couple of years ago, I went on the best vacation ever to Europe - Paris, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Ireland - 16 days with a carry on and a day pack - via planes and trains. That experience changed my life. My heart and mind opened up and I forgave everyone who had ever done me any wrong. I came back to San Francisco and landed a new job working with an incredible team while tapping into my creative energy. I am still in that same job and am now transitioning into a Director position.
Baggage? Yes, I still have baggage and am constantly being reminded of it...which is where we are today.
I made it work once with $200 in my pocket and 8 boxes of belongings. I managed with a carry on and a day pack. I think I can do it again.
I was just thinking about posting today and it ties into this. I was at a local "it" catholic school event this weekend. I was standing with an older lady watching all the new Parish families who have kids from 4 to entering kindergarten. They were in full networking mode. We both thought how funny the "dance" looks watching from "the balcony." They put out a lot of effort that, at the end of the day, won't have a positive lasting impact on their life or their children's lives. It is funny how here we put so much value into things that 15 miles down the road no one cares about or is even aware of. They are building up baggage that doesn't need to exist. Down on the dance floor I can get swept into the dance. Perhaps you should take a moment, Rey, to come up to the balcony with me, to see what baggage is real and what is imagined. Because, down on the dance floor you are an emperor with heavy fine clothing! Hugs!
ReplyDelete