UNPACKING THE BAGGAGE by E.S. Bailey

Facing the past can be healing in a lot of ways. Our memories of our experiences are a combination of great times and not-so-great times. The not-so-great times are the experiences that most of us are not willing to deal with. Over the past few years, I was at a dead end. I was experiencing a mental burnout. It was due to the non-stop lifestyle. Constantly working and dealing with the day-to-day stress. I think the way that most of us deal with stress is by adopting other mechanisms like eating, sleeping, drinking, or even sex. These coping mechanisms become obstacles to discovering the “whys”. I had to stop everything that was stopping me from dealing with my issues. When I decided to stop the stressful cycle. I had to give up a lot of what I thought made me happy. The temporary fixes that many of us take on unconsciously. I stopped every aspect of my life that was debilitating my growth. It took a year to cleanse my mind and to see myself clearer. Every day was a challenge but I knew that with focus. I could get back to the peaceful aspect of myself. Healing is never immediate, it happens over time. Now looking back over the last year, I can see and appreciate my growth. I feel so elevated. I had a lot of baggage to unpacked that had accumulated over the years. Situations and experiences that I ran from and couldn’t face. It took me to face myself in the mirror and be raw, and fully honest with myself. It wasn’t easy but very necessary for personal growth. I realized that unpacking one’s baggage takes focus and patience. You must do it one bag at a time and put it away accordingly.