There's a Piece of Food Stuck in Your Teeth!
I don’t think there’s a soul out there who hasn’t experienced the embarrassment of having eaten and gotten a piece of spinach or black bean stuck in their teeth. If they’re lucky, someone may point it out and say, “Hey, you’ve got something in your teeth.” If they’re not, it may be a while before they realize they’ve been carting leftovers around.
You may not always walk around with food stuck between your teeth, but many of you are walking around with hurts, insecurities, guilt, and fears stuck to your hearts. Hidden from view, nobody can point them out so that you can get rid of them. It is only when you discard these Bits of Emotional Baggage (BoEB) that you’ll feel relief. Most of the time these BoEB consume your daily lives. They may not be noticeable, but the behavior they cause certainly is.
Here’s an example: You’re on the 405. Your tires accidentally cross over into the next lane. You correct yourself immediately. No damage done. But the driver in the next lane over goes ballistic. He waves his arms furiously wanting you to know how pissed off he is and then he gives you the finger. We all know what finger that is. What was the big deal? No harm, no foul, right? It’s not like you swerved so much you hit his car. Happens to all of us at one time or another. More than likely, that driver was harboring BoEB in his heart. Unfortunately, your slight swerving awoke a sleeping giant.
These BoEB plague a lot of you. Mostly because, like those bits of food in your teeth, you may not know they’re there. They’re stored in the heart like some forgotten dress or shirt that hang in the back of the closet, and which should have been donated years before.
The key to ridding yourself of these pesky little BoEB is to realize that you have them. Just like the piece of food between your teeth, you can only get rid of it when you know about it. BoEB do you NO good. EVER! All that these BoEB do is cause you pain and/or embarrassment. They cause you to blow up at the slightest incident; cry and not really know why; feel shame and regret. If there’s anything that you can do, by all means, do it. Instead of needing floss or a toothpick, you might need to talk to someone, write a letter, make a call. Find the way to discard the stuff you no longer need. The results: You’ll feel free, happy, and have an overall sense of well-being.
Don’t let BoEB dictate your life. Act today. Free yourself from unnecessary pain stored in your heart. Then go ahead...smile (but make sure you have nothing in your teeth!).
Well Street
Another great message; thank you.
I recently read an article about people pleasing. The author stated that a people pleaser would likely refrain from telling someone they had food in their teeth, for fear of creating the slightest bit of embarrassment or discomfort for either of them.
The pleaser's own BoEB influences their decision making, allowing the spinach to stay lodged in the other's teeth.
Sanatana
That's an interesting perspective about the people pleaser. I hadn't thought about it like that, but, yes, that makes sense.
Slipstream
We all have emotional baggage that we drag with us throughout our lives. We start packing those bags when we're young and gather bits throughout our lives from our relationships and experiences.
As you cleverly point out, the sooner we recognize we're dragging this baggage into every situation and relationship the better.
Imagine the relief and peace that comes as we begin to lighten the load. Thanks for the insight.
Sanatana
The baggage we carry, also known as blockages. When we can shine a light on those blockages that are preventing our endless energy to come through, we can start living a fuller and happier life. All blockages get hit from time to time. What to do? Know they're there and start eliminating them one by one! Next time a blockage get hit, don't react, relax, and see if you can just let it go. If it's something that needs to be addressed, than do so, but if it's something over which you have no control, release it.