#SelfcareSundays: Letting go of 2015 baggage

Bag lady you gone hurt your back

Dragging all them bags like that

I guess nobody ever told you.

All you must hold on to.

Is you, is you, is you – Erykah Badu

Emotional baggage: the unresolved issues of former relationships or life experiences causing us to carry the memories of trauma or distress around with us, ultimately changing our attitudes. It’s often a redundant plot point completely trivialised in every 90s rom-com and most recently in the apparel industry. You can actually purchase a tote bag with ‘Emotional Baggage’ written in white bold print for a cool £35.

As I reflect on this year, I can honestly say that 2015 has been a long and enigmatic year for me. It’s been full of uncertainty but still had that element of adventure I found somewhat exciting.

I had the post-New York blues, recovered from two surgeries, started writing my first full-length play and 1 hour TV drama and met my gal-dem family, a phenomenal group of women I wish I knew when I was a child. Things are moving in the right direction. But for those of us who have had to go through difficulties and have had our lives disrupted by people or situations, it’s not easy. So how do we go about leaving the emotional baggage of 2015 in 2015 and starting 2016 with a fresh slate?

Although I threw myself in to new experiences and met so many new people, I still lost touch with a few. I’ve always prided myself on being good at keeping in touch with people no matter how busy I am, so it felt painful when seemingly close friends didn’t pay me the same respect. There were times this summer where I felt shock and anger towards friends who were 45 minutes away and didn’t ask after me during surgery recovery.

Time has since passed and there is no need to bear any malice, I’m over it. I’ve held them accountable, but I’ve forgiven them. There is no use in changing how much I care about people or holding grudges when my body is on the mend; I’m healthy and enjoying life.

“In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself. It will be a permanent self, rooted in awareness and creativity. Once you have captured this, you have captured the world.” – Deepak Chopra

We must remember that the space we create by letting go of things both mentally and physically that belong in the past gives us the option to fill the space with something new. So pack light.