Pack Up Your Baggage

When I was a teenager, it was cool to hang posters of pop stars in your bedroom. I also had a poster from Shakespeare’s Hamlet with the infamous quote from Polonius to his son Laertes, “This above all, to thine own self be true.” There has always been this still small voice inside me and as a teenager, that poster helped me to remember that. 

I have been thinking a lot lately about that still small voice -  broadening my understanding of it and relationship with it. What is that voice? 

Your Authentic Self

In human psychology, the mind exists in three parts: the id, ego, and super ego (Freud, 1923). The id produces your raw impulsive thoughts, the ego, is your rational mediator and the super ego is your moral authority. Your thoughts are in a constant state of negotiation and it is important to realize that you are not your thoughts! They are just thoughts passing through your mind. 

Here is a quick example that differentiates the thoughts that can emanate from the three areas of the mind. 

You see another woman wearing a fabulous dress:

• Id: “I want that dress”

• Ego: “I would not look good in that dress. I don’t have the body for it” 

• Super Ego: “You don’t need to spend the money on a dress like that”

The id, ego and superego are constantly creating thoughts and emotions, based upon your experiences and how you see yourself. It’s the constant “noise” in your head about everything going on around you. It’s not your authentic self. This “chatter” through the lens by which you see the world can weigh you down. It is what I call your mental “baggage”. It distracts you from who you really are. 

Packing up your mental “baggage” is learning to stop listening to the constant chatter in your mind and just notice the thoughts without reacting to them. The pause to notice before reacting is small, but the space it creates is huge when learning to listen to that still small voice within. Imagine taking all of those thoughts and emotions and pausing to put them in a suitcase on a cargo plane with a one way ticket. You cannot hear it anymore! Noticing and sending those thoughts flying rather than reacting to them allows you to release your past and present burdens and allows you to be fully present to your authentic self, that still small voice inside. 

Recognizing the Voice Within

Here are some tips on how to recognize the voice within. 

Your authentic self shows up: 

…above the noise of impulse and external “shoulds.” It is the quieter sense of:

• what actually matters to you

• what feels honest even when inconvenient

…and remains when roles fall away. You play roles all day—parent, friend, professional, etc. It shows up when you ask:

• If no one were judging me, what would I choose?

• What do I value even if it’s not rewarded?

…in your patterns, not your moods

A common mistake is to equate “authentic” with “whatever I feel.”  But feelings can be charged by past hurts. A better signal is:

• What kind of person do you respect and try to be?

• What choices do you tend to return to over time? 

Your authentic self emerges like a trajectory rather than a feeling in the moment.

… when aligned with what feels right, even if it’s sometimes uncomfortable. 

Being true to oneself doesn’t always feel easy. 

Sometimes it feels like:

• telling the truth when it costs you

• setting a boundary

• doing something meaningful instead of convenient

Your still small voice emanates from your heart, not your mind. You hear it when your spirit is aligned with God’s plan for your life. It is something you notice, uncover, and live from. 

A Practical Way to Live

If you are feeling anxious about this season of life, or about what lies ahead, learning to find and lean into the still small voice within may just be the peace you are looking for. 

Here is a practical way to access your still small voice:

• Make regular time for quite thinking, even if it’s just a few minutes daily (journaling, walking, prayer, or reflection)

• Notice your thoughts and pause to turn off the “noise” (pack your mental “baggage” and send it flying)! 

• Open your heart and share what is burdening you or your relationships with others. 

• Pause before taking action. 

• Trust God’s plan and choose what brings a sense of integrity and peace, not just pleasure.

“For I know the plans I have for you.” [Jeremiah 29:11]

You, my friend, are a beautiful spirit, made in God’s image that dwells in your heart, free from the cluttered noise of the mind.  Your authentic self is found there, where God shares His plan for your life, moment by moment, in that still small voice within. 

Be Still & Be Well ❤️

Kelly

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