baggage is a funny adjective as it could pertain to so many different avenues of ones’ life. Whether it be a relationship you can’t let go, an idea you want to execute but don’t know where to start, or just simply needing to grow but don’t exactly know what growth looks like.. well at least for yourself. sometimes looking in the mirror isn’t enough, most especially when you’re not happy with who’s staring back.
i’ve been learning so much as I shed the old layer of myself and stepping into who I’ve known I’d always become and it’s to say the least.. a lot! getting uncomfortable, with not only the familiar but with who you used to be and are growing into, is imperative and the one main takeaway that I’ve garnered thus far is to do it… with or without the baggage.
People always say you can’t move forward if you continuously look in your rear view, but I feel as though you have to see what you’ve been through to leave it in your rear view.
sometimes looking back isn’t negative. it’s simply reflection. taking time to appreciate how much you’ve grown and/or how far you’ve come.
one of the most beautiful things about perspective is there’s no one way street. you could think the sky is navy blue, while i’m seeing burnt orange. two things can be true at once, and that aspect also applies to life. how you view your path is how you view your path, because whether we accept it or recognize it, it’s already made for us. the only thing, and most important thing, that we control is how we navigate said path. daily we’re faced with options and choices that either delay or speed up where we’re heading, however comma, it’s all still aligned in, and with, purpose.
everyday when i wake up, i ask myself the question of ‘am i happy with what i’m doing and who i am.’ i answer truthfully and commit to being just %1 better than i was and i’m grateful for that. everyday we’re given the opportunity to be who we desire and do what we want. able to prioritize what will make us better or what will make us happy. decision as simple as said one could be the straw to break the camels back, and either way it goes… it’s still a situation out of our control as we either learn through it or get rewarded from it.
I typed this same closing in my previous blog a year ago, and it still applies:
The photos in this set I took a little over a year ago (now two and a half years ago), when I just knew I had it all planned out. Where my life was headed. The consistency I was going to maintain. How I wanted my career to pan out. The whole nine – and shortly after taking these photos I lost one of the biggest deals critical to my career at that current state. I completely lost myself. No-one had knew because I kept my ‘fronts’ up, but that ultimately made it worse. I continued to spiral until essentially there was no where left fall to. And trust me, it’s true what they say about rock bottom – but being here currently has completely re-aligned who I am. Forced me to pivot, but still – not until I was ready. Not until I wanted to. Not until I wanted to help myself. That alone, has been the reward itself. The fight. The push through. The perseverance. Being able to say I DID THAT regardless of where you’re at in the marathon. THAT’S what makes you hungry! Motivates you. Makes you want more. The good old fashioned fight for it. Had I not pivoted my vision and still trying to do the same thing, I would’ve still been trying to pour into a bottomless glass.
still moving forward, with or without the baggage i continued to align as best as possible with my path. you can’t see the end of the tunnel because of where you currently are in your journey – and everything is happening for a reason.
sometimes it doesn’t feel right because you’re not exactly where you want to be, but exactly where you’re supposed to be.
Hope. Courage. Persistence.
–
Frankie Bleau 