We all carry baggage. Some of it is justified or old. Maybe some of it has been packed so long we’re not even sure what’s in there anymore. A grudge from 2014. A fear that no longer fits. A mistake we keep dragging around like it has frequent flyer miles. At some point, we have to ask ourselves if we still need this, or if I'm just used to holding it?

Maybe we don’t have to get rid of all our emotional baggage at once. We can try setting it down for a little while. Leave it by the curb and put a tag on it that says, “Back in 20 minutes...maybe.” Then walk around without it and see how it feels. 

The funny thing is, once we put some of it down, we may realize we don’t want to pick it back up. Not because life is suddenly perfect, but because we finally notice how heavy it was. Letting go doesn’t mean pretending something didn’t hurt. It means deciding that hurt doesn’t get to ride shotgun forever. So maybe today, we don’t need a grand emotional breakthrough. Maybe we just drop one bag. Take a breath and keep walking.