I recall too many times of hustling through the airport, bobbing and weaving through the crowd pulling my carry-on baggage behind me.

Every so often I would have to stop and adjust my baggage because the smaller piece on top fell off and was dangling off the side of the larger piece making it difficult to keep moving forward.

When the baggage gets in the way, two things happen.

• It impedes my progress.
• When I stop to fix it, I get in the way of the people around me.

I find this experience similar to what we experience in life. We all carry the baggage of past experiences or long-held beliefs through life. Some of us are aware of the contents of our baggage and we have learned to live with it in a healthy way. Others of us are not fully aware of the contents, so we have not and it is holding us back or slowing us down.

Whether we are aware of the contents of our baggage or not, one thing is certain to happen to all of us from time to time. Every once in awhile a piece of baggage will fall off to the side and disrupt our lives.

Your baggage could be conflict avoidance. You were raised in home where conflict was either badly handled or avoided altogether. As a result, you inherited the baggage of conflict avoidance. I know this is one of my pieces. Yours may be control, anger, perfectionism, procrastination, or any number of issues.

For many years I lived my life avoiding conflict. I would either take the blame when I wasn’t to blame, or I would wait it out, hoping that with time the situation would resolve itself. I eventually learned how to deal with conflict in a healthy manner and as result many relationships became healthier.

But every once in while my conflict-avoidance baggage will become dislodged and get in the way of me handling a situation in a healthy manner. Here is the catch: many times I am not aware of the baggage problem until someone is courageous enough to point it out to me. Fortunately, I then turn to the healthy ways I know to make needed adjustments.

At this point in your life, what piece(s) of baggage are getting in the way of your forward momentum?

Maybe it is a past relationship that ended badly and now it is having a negative effect on similar relationships in the present.

Could it be your lack of grace for yourself that is making you judgmental toward others?

Take some time and reflect on which piece of baggage is getting in your way, and take steps to get it back where it belongs so you can continue going forward with your life in a healthy way.

I have learned over the years that it is not the people around us who are impeding our progress; it is us not paying attention to the baggage that is getting in our way.

If you would like help in achieving your goals as a leader or in any area of your life, call us at 208-880-0307 or email us at errol@errolcarrim.com to schedule a complimentary coaching session. To read Errol’s other posts, visit Christ-Centered Life Coaching.