I have to assume that most, if not everyone (whether admitted or not), carries with them some hopefully unrevealed “part” of themselves that they shy away from. This “part” may stem from previous actions with undesired consequences, from unpopular position or opinion, from “mistakes” or poor judgement or from beliefs that run contrary to the majority of social norms. However, our being as we stand today is formed from these instances and beliefs. We carry ourselves day to day with these present, even if under great effort to conceal. Often, due to the perceived weight of guilt of a flawed character or the fear of ridicule for having a different outlook, we call these items “baggage”. We know we carry it with us but we resolve to treat it as invisible so that we do not have to engage others on its existence or rationalize its role in our lives. However, regardless of our best efforts to conceal, the result of this baggage will manifest itself in our day to day life for those whom we desire to have close to us. We cannot truly be close or intimate with people without have the elephant reveal himself in the room. Left unaddressed, the elephant will distract us from moving forward with any form of relationship as energy, best used to grow the connection, is spent uselessly on camouflaging or mis-direction away from the elephant. Remember, the baggage you carry is what not got you where you are today. Don’t treat it as a burden, treat it as merely an accompaniment to your trip and nothing more. It is yourself that makes the journey through this life to whatever destination materializes. When that baggage creates elephants along the way, do as has been recommended in the past – introduce the elephant to the room. The size and weight of the elephant is generated by the size of the fear of and consequences to acknowledging its existence. Yes, the elephant is real and forms a part of your personal history, but it does not define you. The odd thing is – once the elephant is introduced, they tend to leave the room.
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