Check Your Bags

Because of the work I do I am on a plane going somewhere pretty much every week. Unlike many frequent fliers I almost always check my bag, even if it’s small enough to carry on. In the event of a delayed flight or a tight connection, I never want to miss my next flight because I’m standing on the jetway waiting for my “carryon” to be delivered; if I have to run through the airport to catch a flight it’s a lot easier if I’m not hauling a roller-board behind me.

It’s been years since an airline lost my bag, and when they do they find it and deliver it to my hotel room, usually later the same day. Because I don’t have to keep the bag small enough to fit in an overhead bin, I can bring along some of the things that make the trip a little more enjoyable and that make staying in another hotel room a little more relaxing.

There’s a great lesson here for living a more positive life. Check your bags. Don’t waste your emotional and spiritual energy hauling around the deadweight of old grudges and grievances; don’t let hate and anger rob you of your equanimity; don’t let anxiety and fear stop you from taking the actions you need to take in order to be your best self and achieve your most important goals.

Check your bags in the morning – they’ll still be there in the evening (if you want to retrieve them) but you might find that they are a lot lighter than they were when you check them in.