We just returned from Florida on a short business trip where we stayed right along the Atlantic Ocean. The weather was beautiful and a blessed relief from the months of rain, grey skies, and cool temperatures that we have been experiencing. We were even given the blessing of seeing some dolphins swimming along the coast at sunrise, gently dipping in and out of the water in their graceful serpentine way.
Inevitably, the time for packing up arrives and everything goes back into the suitcases. How long it takes for this process depends on how much stuff you brought with you. If you travel lightly it is only a matter of minutes. If you brought everything but the kitchen sink, it can take quite some time!
One’s experience at the airport and getting to and from is also affected by the amount of stuff one hauls with them. I’ve experienced many painful, uncomfortable excursions because I lugged along too much stuff. I felt like an old tortoise lumbering with great effort to move my things along.
This is a great analogy of life. We pack a lot of stuff with us. Some of the things we put into our bags are thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and old resentments. We won’t go anywhere without them and we usually pack along other people’s stuff as well. Stuff that belongs to our family, our religion, and maybe even our old alma mater! That’s a lot of stuff!
So, how many bags are you packing on this journey through life? Feeling a little tired lately? Perhaps you are a little weighed down? You might consider sorting through your luggage—doing a little bag check—and see what you might just let go of. You really don’t need to haul it all with you. In fact, the journey might start being a lot more fun without all your stuff.
Granted, you won’t have some of the old familiar thoughts, rules, feelings, beliefs, and grudges to write your script for you, but you also might discover some beautiful things when they are out of the way—like bliss, joy, love, contentment, acceptance, peace, kindness, and compassion. Go ahead—set down one of those old bags and see if you don’t feel better soon. It’s the fastest way to loose a little poundage.
Inevitably, the time for packing up arrives and everything goes back into the suitcases. How long it takes for this process depends on how much stuff you brought with you. If you travel lightly it is only a matter of minutes. If you brought everything but the kitchen sink, it can take quite some time!
One’s experience at the airport and getting to and from is also affected by the amount of stuff one hauls with them. I’ve experienced many painful, uncomfortable excursions because I lugged along too much stuff. I felt like an old tortoise lumbering with great effort to move my things along.
This is a great analogy of life. We pack a lot of stuff with us. Some of the things we put into our bags are thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and old resentments. We won’t go anywhere without them and we usually pack along other people’s stuff as well. Stuff that belongs to our family, our religion, and maybe even our old alma mater! That’s a lot of stuff!
So, how many bags are you packing on this journey through life? Feeling a little tired lately? Perhaps you are a little weighed down? You might consider sorting through your luggage—doing a little bag check—and see what you might just let go of. You really don’t need to haul it all with you. In fact, the journey might start being a lot more fun without all your stuff.
Granted, you won’t have some of the old familiar thoughts, rules, feelings, beliefs, and grudges to write your script for you, but you also might discover some beautiful things when they are out of the way—like bliss, joy, love, contentment, acceptance, peace, kindness, and compassion. Go ahead—set down one of those old bags and see if you don’t feel better soon. It’s the fastest way to loose a little poundage.
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