Have you ever packed too much for a trip and then struggled with the large, heavy, overloaded luggage? Was it burdensome? Did it cause you pain and discomfort? Did you wish you had not packed so much?
This is what we do. We travel through this life and pack our suitcase to the rim with lots of labels. Labels such as, I am a daughter, a father, a spouse, an employee, a sports fan, a teacher, a Christian, an environmentalist, a PTA president, a yoga practitioner, a model railroad collector, a politician, etc. Or, I am old, athletic, too heavy, ugly, smart, forgetful, too short, unsuccessful, beautiful, fearful, etc. You name it! Every label has its price, however. It either represents something we feel we have to live up to or we have to fight against. The more labels we have, the more burdensome the suitcase becomes. It causes us tremendous discomfort and suffering.
Of course, conventionally we are all those things. However, we have another option. Do we have to pack so much? Do we have to carry the suitcase all the time or can we sometimes put it down to alleviate our discomfort? Is the suitcase us? Likewise, in an absolute sense, are the labels really us? Do we have to identify with them and carry their heavy weight all the time?
Still the constant chatter in your mind and reach a deep, restful state. Try putting down all labels, one by one. Once you have removed all subjects and adjectives in the ‘I am ……’, in the end, all that is left is ‘I am’. Nothing else. This is your true, pure, free, unburdened self. Let it inform you and express itself in you.
Yes, we all have to carry our luggage along on our path through this life, but we can remind ourselves that we do have the option to make it less burdensome and to regularly put it down so that we will never forget who we really are and be able to see more clearly how everything in this existence really is.
May you find peace and burden-free moments on your path!
andelieya
andelieya 安德洌雅 (official) 
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