The baggage we carry…

baggage Have you ever felt weighed down in life?  Maybe you aren’t even really sure why, but you often feel you are just carrying around a lot of extra baggage in your life!  Well, I encourage you to read this article, for some encouragement today! I recently went on a quick trip up to Wisconsin to work with the new P31 Fitness class there.  This was one of those trips where you are trying to keep everything in the carry on bag – so as not to have to pay the check in bag fee. As I was packing, and stuffing those carry on bags full (yes I said bags, and not bag), I realized that I probably should reconsider my plan based on the weight and size of my bags!  I kept thinking, SURELY the items will fit in the overhead compartments and I won’t hit too many people walking down the airplane aisle as I make my way to my seat!   🙂 So, I show up at the airport, rolling a bag, carrying a large “purse” (that really was just another excuse for a bag to stuff more items in), and then I complete it with carrying my tennis shoes, book, and snacks.  I definitely was feeling like I was breaking the “TWO SMALL CARRY ON” rule.  But – I did not want to pay more money to check those bags on the Delta flight to Wisconsin!! DFW airport is huge, and so here I am lugging these 2 “small bags” through the airport, through security, to the snack store to somehow get my coffee, and finally to the gate to wait for the flight.  It was awkward to carry all of that, and those bags started to get REALLY heavy!!  It was at the moment that I look over and see a lady walk in and sit down with ONLY her cell phone in hand, that I started getting envious.  Yes, envious over this free lady with no bags.  Imagine that!!!  I caught myself starring at her thinking – HOW DID SHE DO IT?  And more importantly – WHY didn’t I do that and just check these bags?!? As I watch more and more people arriving at the gate, I start to get nervous.  You see, my ticket is in the back of the plane.  Normally I like that.  I like to sit at the back, and I like to sit by myself and just dream, or read, or rest.  But today – I started feeling this anxiety rise up in my chest.  I can just envision my long walk down the skinny aisle with not one carry on, but two carry ons…plus my little “extra” items.  I envision me having to apologize for whacking people accidentally, and then once getting to my seat – there probably won’t be any space left in my overhead compartment.  Oh dear.  This will not be good. Then I look over at this free lady with no bags, and again – wish I was her!! So, it is time to board, and the BEST thing happens to me, and I am saved from all my fears!!!!  As I walk down the gateway, there are men standing there with pink tickets to hand out in exchange for taking your bag down below during the flight!!  Since the flight is full, they are offering to pink tag the bags and check them right there for pick up after we land.  I am SO EXCITED (it doesn’t take much for me) – because now, I don’t have to try to lug my bags down the aisle and risk hurting someone with all my extra stuff as I walk by them! The man handing out the pink ticket probably thought I was nuts, because I don’t just hand him my bag – I say  -“oh yes, PLEASE take these bags from me!!”. Well, the good news is that on the way home, I only had one bag.  I was able to leave my other items with the lady in Wisconsin for P31 Fitness.  Needless to say, it was a much better experience.  I carried a real size carry on, and even at that, I found the pink tag men again on the gateway.  NOW, guess what – I get to walk on the plane home carrying ONLY my book and water.  WOW – what a difference!!! Now, you may wonder what all of this has to do with nutrition, health, and you today? EVERYTHING!!!  How much “extra” baggage are you carrying around?  Maybe not even physically, but how about emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually?  Baggage is anything that tends to drag us down, or feel healthy, or things that we feel burdened by in our daily lives.  We all have those things!!

  • Do you find yourself feeling guilty for not being this or that?  Baggage.
  • Do you find yourself not meeting other people’s expectations and feeling like a failure?  Baggage.
  • Do you find yourself beating yourself up for past mistakes?  Baggage.
  • Do you find yourself beating yourself up over your food choices, or lack of “good healthy” decisions in your life?  Baggage.
  • Do you find yourself carrying around the emotional burdens of others? Baggage.
  • Do you find yourself comparing yourself to others and never feeling like you measure up?  Baggage.
Yes, Yes, and Yes….we all do and we all have this baggage in our lives. How GREAT would it feel just to drop off that baggage at with the man with the pink tag?  How good would it feel to be free from the extra weight we carry, and to just be US?  Real, raw, and free? It would feel amazing!!! But what I have found over the years both with myself and others, is that we tend to hold onto that extra baggage for many reasons.  A few to name here:
  • We hold tight to our baggage because it is comfortable.
  • We hold tight to our baggage because it is what we know.
  • We hold tight to our baggage because we have a fear of what is on the other side.
  • We hold tight to our baggage sometimes because we don’t even know we are carrying it!
  • We may even hold tight because we have fear of the freedom letting go can bring!
  • Even though it is heavy, uncomfortable, burdensome, we hold on.
  • We may have even let it go, but picked it right back up!!
Well..it is time that we check that baggage in and don’t pick it up again!   It is time that we realize that we don’t have to carry around the heavy burdens any longer.  It is time that we realize that we can give our cares, our burdens, our everything to the one that can carry it and give us FREEDOM!!!  God wants to carry our load.  He wants us to walk in freedom, and he wants us to have peace!! So, no matter what you are carrying around today.  It is time to let it go.  It is time to acknowledge that the weight of the baggage we carry is TOO MUCH for us to carry alone. God wants to hand us that “pink tag” and take our baggage away. He wants to let us lean on Him. He wants to help us with the burdens we face!! He wants us to have FREEDOM!!! You can and you will – only through HIM…But you have to learn to let it go and give it to Him today! It is too heavy to carry alone!!  Hand it off and get your “pink tag of freedom” in return! –Rachel Curtis Founder, P31 Fitness    ]]>