When I speak of baggage I do not speak of your trusty old set of Samsonite, I am speaking of emotional baggage.

Emotional baggage is a laymen’s term for the emotional turmoil and distress that each individual experiences when confronted with a negative experience. From each experience in our life we can learn and grow. However, when we hold on to the negative emotions surrounding an experience we begin to be weighted down. Just as with Jacob Marley in the Charles Dickens’ saga “A Christmas Carol”; each negative emotion we hold onto weighs us down, becoming a great chain
surrounding us. It is a burden that we must be relieved of before we can move on in our lives.

With each failed relationship we have had; we carry with us more than the mere memory of the experience. We carry with us all the emotions we experienced, both positive and negative. Positive emotions are easily understood and readily accepted; negative emotions however, are not. Sometimes we do not understand why we have negative emotions like guilt, jealousy, anger, resentment, and the feeling of failure or inadequacy. Frequently we push these negative emotions so far back into our subconscious mind that we may
or may not be aware of their existence.

When you repress these emotions long enough you may begin to believe that they no longer exist. Unfortunately, if not dealt with properly, you will not only find that these emotions still exist but you will also find that they have a great deal of influence of your day to day behaviors.

When a slave enters into service they must be emotionally prepared to serve. While the statement is simple, the concept is quite complicated. The simplest beginning starts with a simple quote. “Know Thyself”.

Before a slave can serve an owner he or she must know in their heart that service and being owned is what they desire. They must be confident in themselves and their ability to serve. Doubt and uncertainty have no place in an Owner/slave relationship. If a slave doubts himself or herself how can they find pride and fulfillment in the service of another, how can they represent their Owner when they do not understand themselves.

A slave must be free of addictions as well. Addictions are very powerful, and no Owner will allow an individual to have a “Master” other than him or herself. No Owner likes to compete for a slave’s attention or his or her love; hence addictions have no place in slavery.

Also if a slave knows that he or she has an undesirable habit prior to entering into an Owner/slave relationship then that habit needs to be eradicated. There is no place for bad manners or unwanted activities that can be considered rude or repulsive. Some individuals find biting ones nails to be a disgusting habit, or perhaps it is picking ones teeth, or interrupting others when they speak. Any habit that may offend anyone should be eradicated
immediately.

Baggage is something we all have, but we do not have to let it destroy our chance at happiness. Deal with your baggage, your addictions, and your negative habits before attempting to get into an Owner/slave relationship. Take the time to give your Owner the very best, after all don’t they deserve it.

Norische

My thoughts: I know I entered this relationship with a lot of baggage. I had a failed marriage and a bunch of flings just before I commited to Master. It’s just a part of my life. I also know that I have not cleared this baggage well, and it still haunts me. On occasion it bothers Master and he reminds me of who I serve. I wish I could reconcile the past and move on. I believe a huge step in doing so is to finally afford the divorce that I have not been able to afford for 3 years. It’s on my wish list for this year, but as of right now it’s looking iffy. I don’t agree with Norische that you should have your baggage “dealt with” before committing to someone. It’s a part of negociation whether someone will accept you with all of your past. If this is allowed then by all means serve.

As far as addictions I am grateful to not have any. I am not sure if I would place smoking as an addiction that would need to be eradicated. If the Master smoked, then how would that work if he insisted his slave not to? It would be sheer evil. I have friends that have to ask to have a cigarette, and in essence the Master controls the addiction. I agree with this level of restriction to an addiction like smoking.

Bad habits… yes I have quite a few that Master would like me to correct. I hope to have them corrected with work from this journal. My first is a service to him though. Coffee service is something that I have always wanted to do for him. The past 2 days I’ve done small steps, remembered a few times through the day to check his cup or ask if he would like fresh coffee. I know Master has noticed it, he smiles a bit more. I hope for more progress as I work on changing me.

–luna