CARRY-ON LUGGAGE.

I love to travel. By the end of March I will have boarded/de-boarded an airplane about a dozen times in a six-month period. I'm usually quite happy with myself if I can keep my suitcase under the 50 pound weight limit but for my next trip, a wedding in SoCal, I decided to "carry-on." And for the last 24 hours I have been analyzing the best way of packing for six days with only a laptop bag and my REI (30) backpack.

Taking into consideration the TSA's rules on 3.4 ounces or less of liquids/gels, two "dress-up" events I need to attend, and work-out shoes that always seem to take up half the space, this task proved to be impressively daunting. And, after laying out all my outfits for the week (including the shoes and accessories to go with each) I came to one, neon-sign flashing, slap-in-the-face, conclusion...I had too much crap and there was no way it was all fitting into my bags.

I needed to downsize. I needed to decide which items were the most important for this trip. I needed to prioritize...

Life is...CARRY-ON LUGGAGE. Like that "one carry-on" we are allotted on the airplane, we also only have this one life. We should be selective and thoughtful about what goes into each because those things will eventually play a part in shaping our futures.  Each choice we make represents an item that is stuffed into our carry-on. It takes up space...It goes on a journey with us...It plays a part in our lives, however great or small it may be.

I challenge you to inventory your life. It's a great time of the year to do it. Make sure you are living life purposefully and passionately and doing things that are making a difference in the lives of others. Make sure you're packing things into your life that will help you and get rid of those things that aren't. Life is too short to be taking part in useless activities...and there's only so much room in those overhead compartments...

Happy Trails to You,

Heather