Elephant in the room

How often do you have some issue that needs to be addressed, yet everyone involved in it pretends to not be thinking of it, even though everyone is thinking of it but no one wants to talk about it….ugh it’s exhausting. But why is that issue, whatever it may be, so difficult to discuss?  Why do we spend so much time and energy avoiding it, when it probably wouldn’t be bad at all to discuss?  Why do we ignore the elephant in the room?

It all comes down to a matter of fear, again.  For some reason or another that elephant scares us to death, and bringing it forward may just be awful.  But really, how awful?  How awful has having all the thoughts, feelings, ideas out in the open ever been?  In my experience it is an amazing relief, a release, and often a renewed respect and bond with the other person involved.  We all forget the world we look at is through our own personal filter.  How we fear someone may react, is never going to be how they ACTUALLY react.   And really when it comes down to it, what is there to be afraid of?  What really is there to fear in any of this world, our lives?  I’ve seen time and time again, you’ll always be ok.  You’ll always be capable of smiling, laughing, being happy, sad, successful, relaxed…you.  There is nothing to be afraid of (I keep telling myself), whether it is an elephant in the room or the idea of losing a loved one, I can assure you that you can handle both of them.  We all can.  So bring it out in the open, discuss the issues, and feel free.
I’m laying down a new law for myself, be comfortable with the elephant in the room…be the first to discuss it, work through it, and move on.  Life is complicated enough as it is, the last thing we need is more baggage to haul around.  Time to set myself, and others free.