I have been in several sessions of some sort of therapy over my years and the rug concept was brought up at one of my sessions several years ago.
The rug, is that symbolic rug, the rug we push hardships, challenges, and issues under so as not to deal with them. Maybe we don't deal with them ever or maybe we deal with them when they can no longer stay under the rug. Many times it is referred to as "brushing things under the rug". Whatever you use or call it, when we brush too much under the rug it can make a mountain and there will come a point when it is no longer working.
Many of my clients have created change in their lives. They are breathing new life into struggling businesses, overcoming limiting beliefs, moved away from oppressive relationships, engaged in courageous conversations, learned new habits and let go of old ones, are being heard and re-connected with skills and talents they thought they didn't have, became self-aware and self-compassionate. Each one of their journeys began with basically the same thing.
Sweeping things under the rug is no longer working.
The "it" can be hurt, shame, resentments, dreams, disappointments, doubt, fears, needs, longings, truths or desires. I began pushing things under the rug from an early age and most of have started at an early age. To keep the peace it was easier to push or sweep. As our lives progressed this habit felt safer, happier, and less messy.
But because our stuff doesn't belong under the rug and playing it safe is playing it small, the more unaware we are of our stories that we accumulate, the more disconnected, confused, and limited we tend to feel.
We come to this critical mass in our lives that pushes us to the edge and this awakens something deep within us. This something that pushes us, these truths that whisper take us to our feelings. And our truths don't just go away...
Stay tuned for Part II of "What have you pushed under the rug?"
