“Swept Under the Rug” is the idiom for that bump that’s been under your rug for years. Yes, the one you continue to ignore, hoping it will just disappear and go away. What makes up that bump? It’s years of negative issues you’ve faced or rather didn’t face and thought would stay forgotten or hidden. Surprise! Now, they’re here confronting and challenging your peace of mind.
Everyone sweeps things under the rug—and it can start at a very young age. When things are a bit too tough to deal with, we stuff them away, out of sight and out of mind. And when they pop up, we whack them right back down with plans on dealing with them another day or never at all. It’s what we do when we don’t know what else to do. It’s why we find ourselves facing the same issues years or even decades later.
It’s time to lift the rug and mine through the things underneath it. Give each one attention, awareness, focus and a solution. Decide to either purge it or fix it. Then, you can release the frustration and stress it places on your mind and your health.
Start by identifying why each thing under the rug exists and what emotional challenge it represents. What you’ll find interesting is most things can be purged simply and immediately. Discovering and rediscovering what’s under the rug can be one of the most freeing activities you can do—and you’ll learn more about yourself.
Clearing what’s under the rug is an opportunity to understand and validate your emotions and gain clarity about your WHYs. Much of what stresses you are things you dealt with but never removed from under the rug. Now you can toss them away officially.
Take a deep breath. Lift your rug. Set yourself free. This is positive aging!
Pat Landaker is a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) and owner of Living La Vida Senior, Ageless Aging, and CSA Senior Solutions. She serves on the American Society on Aging’s Social Impact and Innovation Council and the CSA’s Certification Council. She also teaches Positive Aging at UNLV/OLLI. Visit www.patlandakerAGEncy.com or email her at contact@livinglavidasenior.com.