Warning: Not for the Victim-Minded.

Ever look at someone who just has it together?

They’ve got that glow, skin’s clear, energy’s high, car’s nice, house even nicer. Always smiling like life’s a breeze. And you think to yourself, Must be nice. Must be easy.

Let’s pause right there.

Yes. Some people are born into wealth. Some are handed a leg up in life. But that doesn’t mean life spares them the lessons. No soul gets a free pass. Every single one of us: rich, poor, broken, healed, we all walk around carrying something. Baggage. Luggage. Some of us even roll up with a full blown checked cargo fleet.

And just like we all need food, sleep, and a good teeth brushing, we also carry common emotional luggage:. Love, pain, shame, success, fear. Some bags are heavier. Some look prettier. But it’s all still luggage.

Here’s where the difference lies. 

It’s not what’s in your bag.

It’s what you do with it.

Too many people drag their trauma and pain through every chapter of their lives. Some shove it deep into the suitcase like dirty laundry. Old pain, stained memories, toxic relationships, stuff they don’t want to admit still stinks. What’s worse is they carry it everywhere. Hoping if it’s buried deep enough, no one will notice. Guess what? Sooner or later, that stench leaks out. Through anger. Through bitterness. Through breakdowns and trauma dumping and it all leads to one place. Self sabotage.

The people who look like they’re living light?

They are. But not because life handed them ease.

It’s because they did the work.

They faced the mess.

They opened the suitcase.

They tossed out the emotional poop stained underwear.

They healed, forgave, released, and chose peace.

Love, joy, peace, those are effortless carry ons.

Shame, guilt, fear, regret, those are the bags that will break your back if you refuse to let go.

So why don’t more people do the work?

Simple.  It’s hard. It’s raw. Healing isn’t for the faint of heart.

Neither is staying stuck.

At the end of the day, it’s not our job to force anyone to unpack.Though I’ll tell you this from experience. Once you deep clean your soul, once you throw out the crap that’s been weighing you down, you will start to look and feel like the one who has it all together.

Not because life suddenly got easy.

But because you got lighter.

Leave a comment if you want tips on taking out the trash.