I am a people watcher and I travel a lot. At times, this makes for entertainment, aggravation, and even observational learning. On one particular occasion, I was coming back to New York from a business trip out west. The plane landed and I couldn’t wait to get to my car and go home. As I walked through the airport like a man on a mission, breezing past baggage claim, I couldn’t help but hear the excited cheers of young kids.
Curiosity caused me to look in the direction of these extremely loud and excited kids. It appeared to me that their dad had come home from a trip. These kids were jumping up and down in excitement and as soon as their dad got close to them, they tackled his legs – even as a distant observer, it was a pretty touching moment.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The dad seemed equally happy to see his kids as he looked down at them hugging his legs and jumping at him as he tried his best to hold his arms high and not to hit the kids with the luggage in his hands.
The excitement was touching and gained the attention of several people in the area as the kids were yelling for him to pick them up. As I watched, I was thinking to myself that he can’t pick them up, he can’t embrace them, he can’t receive the love they’re sharing until he lets go of the luggage; the baggage he was holding from his trip.
And again, I couldn’t help but liken that to all of our lives. This man could not embrace what the NOW had to offer while he was holding on to the luggage from his journey.
How many of us walk around being weighed down by the baggage of our journey? You can’t possibly embrace that new relationship, that new companion, that new career, that new friendship, or that new life you want while you’re still holding on to the baggage of the last one. Let go… and allow yourself to embrace what is waiting for you right at your feet.
© Steve Maraboli
From the bestselling book, “Unapologetically You“
