We each carry our own set of “emotional baggage” some just have heavier loads than others. Quite recently, a friend shared with me an analogy that has really proven useful with others. She said, “if you don’t empty out your suitcase after each trip, the suitcase will just get heavier and heavier with all that dirty laundry. Sooner or later, a time will come when you need to face that mess.”
Well, from personal experience I just want to say that I wish I had faced my dirty laundry ages ago. Instead, it all exploded on me at once. Thankfully, I was surrounded by kind people willing to help me wash, fold and put away all that laundry. Finding healthy outlets is also key: exercising, meditating, writing and talking about our feelings are all great ways to deal with the pain and sorrow inflicted upon us by life’s challenges.
Another useful thing that I have learned is that anger is just a more aggressive way of exhibiting disappointment, and that actually stems from expectations we set and that are not met. What is noteworthy is that ending this horrible cycle is completely within our control—for if we do not set unrealistic expectations upon others, we are far less likely to be disappointed and/or angry. Trust me, it is a far healthier way to live.
