Last week was about ironing and development.  This week we are going to think about taking out the trash and releasing negative emotions.  Fair warning, this blog might trigger your olfactory senses.

Pretend for a moment that you came over to my house.  The moment you walk in you encounter a powerful odor, a disgusting overwhelming smell.  You see me sitting at the kitchen table and you ask me, “Why does your house smell so bad?”  I simply shrug and say, “I don’t smell anything that bad.”

You begin searching my house for the smell and finally you realize the problem.  The garbage can is overflowing.  There are empty food containers, dirty diapers, mold, and all kinds of disgusting stuff.  You grab me and say, “Why didn’t you ever take the trash out?”  I respond by saying, “I just got caught up and stuff and never thought about it.”  Eventually I take out the trash and let the house air out.  By the next day everything smells so much better and I’m thankful I’ve removed the garbage from my home.

You’re probably wondering what taking the garbage out has to do with work.  Let me ask you a question.  Have you ever held onto some negative thing someone said or a negative emotion longer than you should have?  I know I do that sometimes.  I get bitter, angry, jealous, upset, hurt, etc. and I bottle it up and hold onto it.  Sometimes I hold onto a mistake I made.  Sometimes I hold onto something someone said.  Sometimes I hold onto my own self-doubt and insecurities.  After a period of time I don’t even realize I’m holding onto those things anymore.  Just like keeping trash in my house, sooner or later my whole entire being stinks and becomes toxic.  This not only hurts me, but it also impacts the way I interact with people.  Throughout this entire process what I really need to do is realize that negativity is something I need to let go of.  I need to release it so it can be taken away.  Sometimes, you can do this on your own, and sometimes you need a friend or someone to help you let go of things.

Now here’s an important nuance.  I’m not saying negative emotions or experiences are bad.  What I’m saying is that when we encounter these emotions we need to learn what we can from them and then let them go.  It’s kind of like eating a banana.  I eat the banana, and then I throw away what’s left because I can’t use it anymore.  I need to take the mistake/criticism/self-doubt learn what I can and then move on.

The challenge: Are you taking out the trash when you need to?  Are you letting go of your toxic emotions?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry