Number 9 – Pack Light and Bring a Kite…

I recently traveled internationally and was reminded of my Top 10 post about packing light.  My travel preparation focus was to make sure that I packed what I needed and insure each bag would be well under the fifty-pound limit set by the airline.

I started the twenty-nine hour travel event on a good note with all my preparation paying off.  I checked in without error, departed and was to arrive according to the itinerary.  I moved smoothly through the logistics of the airports and after traveling all day and completing two of the three legs of the journey, I was surprised and a bit frazzled at a requirement of which I was not aware.

Already exhausted by the long hours of travel and looking forward to this being the last leg of the long journey, I patiently waited for the call to board.  I moved forward in the queue, had my ticket scanned and began the walk down the jet way to the airplane door.  Midway down the ramp, I was stopped by a gate agent who requested that I weigh one of my two carry-on bags.

It was an illogical moment.  Why, at this point of the journey and boarding, would my bag need to be weighed?  Why weigh one bag and not both?  When my bag was weighed and it was over the limit, why was I instructed to distribute the contents between the two bags or check it? Both bags were going on the plane and in the overhead bin.

Yes, it was a drama moment.  I had to distribute contents from the lightest bag to the heaviest bag, which they did not weigh. This request made no sense.  Exhaustion had taken its toll and the insanity of this request, the required shift of contents and the hold up of the queue to board, triggered my FIRE.  This was definitely a test of my character.

The other passengers maneuvered around me with their carry on bags, not having the same requirement.  I quickly shoved items from one bag to another stirred by the injustice.  Once again, my bag was weighed and I was released to board.  As I hurried through the plane door and attempted to maneuver the isle without clobbering the already seated travelers, I found myself stressed and thinking– I had made provision for the checked bags, made sure all my carry on liquids were within the guidelines and placed in proper sized plastic bag, been scanned, searched, checked in and still met with the inconvenience of travel that pulled my energy and emotion in the wrong direction.

It actually impacted and effected the following few hours of my trip.  I had to keep myself quieted as I worked to reframe my thinking and emotions.  The result—I missed the first opportunity to meet and interact with the two girls that were seated beside me.  Although I did greet them and spend time in conversation with them towards the end of the flight and after a few hours of sleep, I am not sure what would have been exchanged had my carry on bag not been overweight.

Where are you going with this, you might ask?  Similarly, there’s stuff in our life that’s baggage.  We carry the weight of things from our past that are not beneficial for our journey.  We may have compartmentalized them, thinking the organization will be enough to manage it during our journey.  Yet, they inhibit our choices, rob us of energy and impact our stability as we maneuver forward in the things we want for our life and future.

It is an investment of time and energy to inventory what you carry.  It may be inconvenient to weigh your bags before you take the next leg of your journey, but consider it a value added, time invested action that allows you to take stock in what you have and what you do not want to have to carry through the transition of stepping into the dream.

Yet, when you pack, while you inventory what you are bringing into the dream, be sure to take a kite.  There is something about a kite that keeps us childlike, playful and aware of the winds that will empower us to be lifted to new levels, insights and perspectives.

Kites are light and when put together, are wings that use the winds and pressure to lift higher and higher.  New perspectives always bring an opportunity to reframe our thoughts and our energy.

Kites are colorful and dance in the winds.  I enjoy the beach and can sit and watch the kites dance about the atmosphere like figure skaters on invisible ice.  They dance as the string is released higher and higher until they tower over the circumstances below them.

When entering the dream, bring a kite as a reminder to keep things light and in perspective.  Hold onto your dream like the string of a kite, knowing when to release and when to hold steady.  Fly the kite, keeping your focus on the colorful image that soars higher and higher with greater overall perspective.  Feel the power of the wind harnessed within your grip, knowing the stronger winds are the ones that when skillfully used, will lift you to new places.  The journey is a joyful one, so take time to play along the way.