The girl who was so hurt in her first romantic encounter that she decides never to trust anyone with her heart again... that's baggage and is protecting her, but getting in the way of her other goal which is to be in a relationship.So, while baggage is heavy, there's no reason why it can't be useful.
Yes, and that's the dilemma. It can be useful to us and also get in the way. We packed those emotional things to protect ourselves. It's just that as we grow older, the things we needed to protect ourselves as a child might now be stopping us from achieving other goals. One example which I may have mentioned here before: the students in my classes who cannot get up to speak in class because they were humiliated when they were in elementary school. They decided early on to never be in a position to be humiliated again. While this may have protected them early on, it is just getting in their way now. That's baggage that no longer serves them.
Yes, but that's the importance of introspection. Why did I feel humiliated? What was it that hurt me so bad? Can I love again? Without these experiences, we couldn't answer these questions. The important thing is being able to ask them and to actually try hard to find some answers. A static life is one in which we never can grow. We all try to avoid hurt (and rightfully so), but without it, what could we ever learn about life?