About a month ago, I was listening to Erykah Badu’s song Bag Lady. I hadn’t heard the song in a while, but I’ve always loved the lyrics. It’s a reminder to let go of your emotional baggage of the past since it’s the only way to move forward positively.
Our past should be our teacher. We don’t need to carry around the textbooks we had in elementary school to remember what we were taught. It’s the same thing with our negative emotional experiences. We have to review the lessons they taught so we can navigate the present with more awareness.
Bag Lady is a song about relationship baggage. I’m sure we’ve all been on the receiving or giving end of emotional baggage from a previous relationship that can sabotage things. When the lyrics say bag lady, you gon’ miss your bus, you can’t hurry up ’cause you got too much stuff, I think it’s a reminder that you can’t make the moves you want to make if you won’t let go of the baggage of the past.
Lightening the load and letting go of your emotional baggage can be challenging. You may need support in your journey to unpack your luggage. Whether that means working with a therapist, a coach, or a spiritual advisor, it’s important to find productive ways of working through your stuff.
When my father died, it started a journey that led to unpacking a lot of baggage. I realized that I had to do something, or I would continue on a path I didn’t want. It took me taking responsibility for my role in creating the baggage I was carrying and letting go of using that baggage as some burden as something I was damned to have for the rest of my life like a badge of honor (or dishonor?).
By no means have I gotten rid of all of my baggage. Instead of carrying three pieces of luggage and a carry-on, I’m now navigating life with a medium size backpack. I’m traveling light, with no room to add anything else to my bag, and it feels good! ❤️