Baggage Claim; Misery Loves Company

#mygirlfriendvoice emotional baggage emotions & emotional inventory living in yesterday mindset matters recall triggers & the inner critic turning shit into sunshine

I am lucky, at least when it comes finding sources of inspiration. Or is it that inspiration easily finds me? I was inspired yesterday by baby pink tulips mirroring the morning sky in their heavy dew drops. I was inspired by a video featuring a childhood friend in her role as a Wetlands Biologist in Tennessee—another scientist from our small Midwestern town! Then there is my source of constant inspiration from a former colleague fighting cancer (again) yet she is the most positive person I have ever encountered. Inspiration surrounds me.

Inspiration wasn’t always at my fingertips. I was too busy fighting my demons, both real and imagined. I had work to do and that didn’t leave room for inspiration or much else for that matter. Blaming, angry, tired, unappreciated…… can you relate to how I was feeling?

Thank goodness my thinking has turned around. Consciously I bathe myself in gratitude and sources of inspiration surround me like a soft, warm blanket. I wake up happy. I am content here and now. So what exactly changed? What was getting in the way? Well, I believe I was stuck in “baggage claim”.

Let me explain. BAGGAGE CLAIM is the term I use to describe when my brain calls down to my heart and orders up the emotional baggage of yesteryear. You know the scar tissue of my early years, the guilt of motherhood, the pain of broken relationships, mistakes, words I can’t take back, etc. I am especially vulnerable when tired and stressed. Baggage claim loves to have a shout down from the brain to bring it all up in gory detail! Misery loves company. Misery is job security for baggage claim.

This is where my new mindset comes out to play. I could open those suitcases and revive the sad stories or I can look at the suitcase and celebrate the knowledge gained from those experiences. My choice. Will it be regret or celebration? There is a boat load of character building and perspective gained as a result of my 50 plus years of baggage!! So I’ve decided to put my emotional baggage to work as a fertilizer for the future. From where I stand, I see no other option.

I am creating a garden of wisdom by turning shit into sunshine!

Oprah often inspires me so I will close with her words. “You are responsible for your life and if you are sitting around waiting for someone to save you, to fix you, to even help you, you are wasting your time, because only YOU have the power to take responsibility to move your life forward. What matters is now, this moment and your willingness to see this moment for what it is. Accept it. Forgive the past. Take responsibility and move forward.”

Find your wisdom. It’s there. You may need to pull a few weeds from your garden before you can see the beauty of what you have created but trust me, you are wiser and stronger than you were yesterday. It’s your choice. Regret or celebration? Shit or sunshine?

From the heart,

Cara

Baggage Claim; Misery Loves Company

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