Today, we’re in Nordfjordeid, Norway. And one thing keeps standing out to me: how often people complain about the food. The food on board, the food on land – everything somehow “isn’t like at home”, and so it’s left untouched, often accompanied by loud complaints.
As we say in Swabia: “What the farmer doesn’t know, he won’t eat.” Sure – tastes differ. But let me ask you something: If you didn’t like the food in a restaurant, would you take the leftovers home? Of course not. What didn’t taste good there, won’t magically taste better at home. But here’s the thing: Why do we do exactly that in life – all the time? Today’s message is about exactly that: How to let go of emotional baggage.
Let’s say something happens to you that you don’t like. Someone says something hurtful about you. If that were a dish, would you ask to have it wrapped up to go? Certainly not. But emotionally – that’s exactly what we do. We take it with us. We carry it. And we reheat it over and over again. Not only that; we talk about it again and again: “Do you know what so-and-so said to me?” Then follows the recap: “Previously on my drama…” Full feature length. With bonus content. And lots of emotion. Crazy, isn’t it? You wouldn’t reheat bad food two hours later. But some people carry around painful words from 10, 20, even 30 years ago – like family heirlooms.
So what’s the solution? Suppressing it doesn’t help. Instead, go through the feeling. Feel it. Express it. Speak it out loud. Let everything surface that’s within you. And then – let it go. It was one person’s opinion – not the truth about you. Say to yourself: “Interesting what so-and-so thinks about me.” And then move on. Live your life. It becomes tragic when you get stuck for years. When you keep blaming others for your unhappiness. Not life. Not the person. You chose to hold onto the story. You were the one reheating it again and again.
And if you kept it alive you’re also the only one who can let it go. Not the other person.
Because: Hate poisons your own soul – not theirs.
Accept what is. Fighting reality gets you nowhere. The pain is inside you – not out there.
As Einstein said: “Everything is relative.” You choose how to see things. What happened, happened. You can’t undo it. But you can choose: Do you keep holding on and suffering? Or do you choose to accept, forgive – and be free? Yes, it was painful. But it’s over.
And holding onto it until today doesn’t change the past. It just steals your joy in the present.
Forgive yourself. Forgive the other person. And move forward. When you do that – is entirely up to you: Today? Tomorrow? Or right now? You’re just one decision away from being free and happy again.
