Baggage Claim

We constantly hear that it’s a danger to any relationship to bring the experiences of your past into your present. Is that even really possible? Just as a new day comes, yes, that should be the mind set that you bring into each new relationship ... but is any of us really able to not in some way tie in some aspect of our past into our present, as we try to impact our future? Is" luggage" always a negative thing? The one thing that's certain is that it’s inevitable. When we go away on an overnight trip we carry some kind of bag with something in it so we can be "prepared” for whatever may be in store for us at our destination. Even kids that try to run away from home carry one of those little knapsacks (we see in the movies or cartoons) because something inside tells them that they must carry something in order to get where they're going and be ok . The point is, no matter the journey that lays in front of us, sure or unsure, you have to carry your past experiences with you....its shaped who you are and you'll never be the same again. Good or bad, it helped you get to where you are and for some of us, have become an essential part of our growth process. Due to lack of experience, some of us may have been ill-prepared or "ill-packed" in the past, but it’s up to us now to take the necessary items of life that we've skillfully gained with time, on the journeys ahead of us. If we don't that means that somewhere along the line, we've hindered our growth process and have stopped learning; and then wonder why one destination seems to take us right back where we started.

Once again, as we grow, we need to take the necessary items that we've acquired over the years with us. Key Word: NECESSARY. The problem arises when we start to pack and bring a whole bunch of bull sh*t that we don't need, which in most cases, it weighs us down. Just as packing too little hinders us, so does packing too much. When it comes to relationships, the most we need to bring is a carry-on bag ONLY. Yes ,some of us go through a lot in relationships, yet if we look in hindsight, the key problems are really quite simple: with the help of ignorance or over-thought, we've either made enough alterations or assumptions to ensure that a rock became a mountain...and we don't even know when or where that took place. If you honestly feel like you have more problems and issues that just can't fit into a carry-on bag, then maybe you should reconsider entering any future relationships, until you've gone through enough healing and self reflection, to evaluate what it is you do and do not need to bring on the journey ahead.

Bringing just the right amount into a relationship becomes an act of selflessness . If you're involved with someone whom you feel is worthy of your attention, this helps the BOTH of you examine where you've been in the past and helps you both get a better idea of where you two may potentially be headed in the future.When you bring any type of baggage, you should be using whatever it is you've carried. If you don't plan on going swimming, then you wouldn't bring a bathing suit would you? Don't bring it if you don't see yourself using it to the best of your potential. Ladies, If you're still resentful of your past lover for being unfaithful and now think all men are cheating dogs, thats something you could've left at home. If you're a dude that's had a few bad relationships in the past and now believe that you have "commitment issues" forcing you to remain unfaithful,, that's baggage that didn't really need to bring and are probably better off being happily single for a while. Just as packing enough is self less, To bring too much baggage becomes an act of selfishness. It's possible that we can bring so much stuff into a relationship that it overshadows whatever your partner brought as well; as both need to be taken into account . When a suitcase may get too heavy to carry, we may either take breaks along our path, slowing us down or give someone else the daunting task of carrying it for you. The same goes for emotional baggage. Too much emotional baggage can weigh down not just you, but your partner as well. Carrying a heavy load is one thing but if you do, it’s only fair that you take responsibility for it. You may be able to find a partner that's willing to help you unpack but at the end of the day, they'll never be able to help you enough until you help yourself; ultimately helping the both of you.... if your willing.

Key message: Be careful of what you pack on any journey you decide to embark on. Luggage in its entirety is a necessary part of enduring life and helps you to prepare to embark on new adventures . If you don't acquire tools/items ( good and/or bad) on each trip as a souvenir, isn't the trip that much harder to remember? Its important to keep in mind that although you may want to take everything you've gained everywhere you go, you may not need every thing that you've attained. At the end of the day YOU must choose wisely what you decide to bring next."Becoming a person or a nation with character doesn't happen without self confrontation. It asks for strength exactly in those area where you feel weak.". Decide if you're ready to have your "luggage" be a weakness or a strength in your life.