UNPACK YOUR BAGS

Many of us would rather dig through someone’s phone, social media, or somebody else’s bags instead of digging inside ourselves

By Shay Cole

Before every trip, we plan our outfits, shoes, accessories, make-up, and even activities. We know what we want to do and where we want to go. We research how much it costs and plan to add it to our budget, whether we can afford it. When it’s time to travel, we feel like we are prepared with everything we need. A lot of times, we take more than we ever need simply because it is so easy to overpack for a trip, especially when there are planned themes and activities to pack for.

Traveling through life is no different We make plans for our futures when we are just barely getting over being afraid of the dark Adults constantly ask children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” They expect a realistic answer from a child when they are still confused about the same decision We pack our lives full of people, places, and things in an effort to prepare for what may come.

Each of us travels through life, reaching various milestones, learning valuable lessons, gaining noteworthy experiences, and constantly moving toward an intentional goal.

We gather tips and tricks that allow us to pack more into our bags as we travel along the way We learn to roll our clothes instead of folding them to have room for more clothes to fit We combine accessories with shoes to save space for our make-up We adapt and accommodate so that we don’t have to leave anything behind truth of our situations because the lie feels better Nevertheless, we keep going

However, throughout our travels, we not only gain, but we also lose We gain people, and we lose people; we gain things, and we lose things; sometimes, we gain more of ourselves, but most times, we lose ourselves. During the process, we often try to hold on to things that we need to let go of, and we take things for granted when we are blessed with them. We avoid the truth of our situations because the lie feels better. Nevertheless, we keep going.

Every time we return from an expedition, we notice something different. Sometimes about ourselves and sometimes about others. We tend to pay more attention to the changes we notice in others more than ourselves, though. We allow ourselves to be last on the list of things we pay attention to Most of the time, that’s because we are used to it We are used to ignoring ourselves and giving our full attention to everyone and everything else

Many of us would rather dig through someone’s phone, social media, or somebody else’s bags instead of digging inside ourselves

Our travels through the trenches teach us endurance Our vacations to paradise teach us appreciation Our journey through adolescence to adulthood teaches us adaptation Every trip we take on the voyage of life adds weight to our bags As we learn and grow, we have to know what to keep packed and what to leave at our destinations.

We have to discern between what is beneficial to us and what is blocking us from our full potential. Every so often, we have to look at our itinerary and ensure that we are on schedule.

Our bags sometimes get heavy with pain, hurt, humiliation, depression, anxiety, frustration, etc We can decrease the weight of our bags, or we can pay extra to lug them around No one knows what we are carrying in our bags No one knows how what is in our bags affects us No one knows how to make our bags lighter for us For these reasons, we must dig through the bags and put away our things Many of us hold onto things and carry them around because we don’t want to deal with them We often have the propensity to weigh ourselves down with it rather than unpack it Unpacking sounds difficult because sometimes it signifies that the trip has ended and you have to return to reality

When you look at it as if you’re cleaning out your bags from the last trip in order to prepare for the next one, it tends to relieve some of that pressure. Unpacking is a necessary part of traveling. When we go away for a week or longer, we have to unpack to settle into the vacant space.

Unpacking in that situation doesn’t lend to a pejorative reaction. It actually excites us because we are thinking about all the great things that will happen on the trip. Funny how perception drastically changes things.

When you dig through your bags and take out what you don’t need, it frees up space. When you dig through your life and take out the things that you don’t need, it frees up peace Just let that sit for a minute Many of us would rather dig through someone’s phone, social media, or somebody else’s bags instead of digging inside ourselves

Now, everybody wants to talk about protecting peace, but they don’t tell you how they reached the place of peace in the first place Peace is often acquired after pain It is often the aftermath of proper unpacking, including putting your things away and throwing them away

Traveling is so much fun and creates so many memories To be honest, that’s the best part! However, it’s not the only part We have to plan, pack, travel, unpack, and reset for every trip we take.

So my question to you is, would you rather pay extra for heavy bags full of things you don’t need or lighten your load?