Definition: Coattail

1. the rear flap of mans coat
2. the skirts of a dress coat, skirt or frock

The word coattails came to me today and the first thing I thought of was Jack Skellington’s ratty, tatty coattails. Well… of course they were ratty, tatty and worn… he is a skeleton after all. Then, I wondered, what was Jack Skellington like before he became a skeleton? Most likely he was well to do and successful based on how he was dressed. Maybe, before he became a skeleton he was a successful businessman? I wondered if he earned his coattails and if he did who was riding his coattails before death overcame him?

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There are many ways we earn our “proverbial” coattails. Maybe we just earned a promotion in our job. Maybe we hit our goal weight. Maybe we just worked hard all our lives and was able to afford the nice house and nice cars. We walk across the stage in our coattails – proud of the achievements we have made, there are those on the sideline, cheering and encouraging us as we accept our reward. But then, we feel a heaviness in our step, we look back and notice, there is something or someone, riding on our coattails. Our reward is just ahead where did this rider come from?

The rider on the coattails could be a person, a financial setback, emotions weighing us down, health problems, political, anything that causes us stress because it is sapping our energy. The rider is negativity embodied. We feel it getting heavier and heavier as we stumble across the stage to get our reward. It throws us off balance. It tries to make us stop. It wants what we have worked so hard for.

Is it wrong to have a coattail rider? In my opinion… if the negativity of the coattail rider is bringing you down and holding you back – then yes! The coattail rider needs to be removed. If you have given permission for the coattail rider to be there and it is there to bring happiness and positivity to your life… then by all means, leave it there. But, I think in most cases the coattail rider is an energy taker.

That’s how I see it

What’s riding your coattails?

Remember, stay positive

I’ll remain…

Positively, Debbie