I was putting away some laundry the other day when I came across a familiar t-shirt at the

back of one of my drawers. You probably have one just like it. It's an old worn-out t-shirt

that you just can't seem to part with. Mine is 17 years old and counting, and I'll be honest, it has seen better days for sure.

It has holes and stains and it smells, but there's just something about it that I can't let go of.

Whenever I wear it for a run or to do something around the yard, my wife always says,

Chad, you have got to get rid of that shirt. I'm going to throw it away when you're not looking

one day. I keep hiding it. But I just can't bring myself to it. I guess there's something about

the memories associated that are hard to to it. I guess there's something about the memories associated that

are hard to let go. I don't know. And even though it's old and ratty, it's still one of my favorite

shirts. I mean, do you have one of these? Please let me know I'm not alone. But as anyone who has

ever cleaned out a closet, you know it can be tough to let go of certain

things, even if they no longer serve a purpose.

A lot of times we associate our belongings with certain memories.

Letting go of those things can feel like we're saying goodbye to a part of our past.

But holding on to these old shirts, or anything else for that matter, can actually prevent us from moving forward in life.

How can we expect to make new memories if we're constantly clinging to the old ones?

We all have a little bit of emotional baggage, whether it's the hurt feelings from a bad breakup or the insecurity that comes from an unfulfilling job.

We all have our share of issues. And just like that old t-shirt in the back

of the closet, this emotional baggage can be sometimes comfortable, familiar, safe even. At least

what we have become accustomed to thinking is safe.

It's something you've been carrying around for a long time.

And it's kind of become a part of who you are.

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