Carry-on bag allowances

A full bag on our everyday journeys can be great, so long as it's mindfully packed with things that support us instead of weighing us down.

Several weeks ago, I had a non-stop period of time, and I was on the verge of saying, "I've been busy" or "things are busy." Instead of repeating those phrases when someone asked me how things were going, I opted for another one that felt better: "things are full."

Full is a reframe for how I get to spend my time--yes, sometimes how I have to spend my time, but that's where the reframe comes in. Think: I get to get out of bed vs. I have to get out of bed.

During my recent non-stop energetic output, I paused and felt grateful to be full of work I get to complete. I felt grateful for a home full of highly active and attention-demanding kids that I get to call my family. I felt grateful to be full of creature comforts that I get to unpack and organize. I felt full of good things. Not busy.

"Busy" took on a negative connotation after years of busyness with Port of Raleigh. There were periods when I felt overwhelmed by too-much-to-do and not-enough-time energy. I'd push push push, complain complain complain, and ultimately feel resentful for all the things that I had to do. I was too busy to stop and be grateful for what was truly in front of me: everything I got to do and how I got to spend my time.

Busy was a downer, and the word/thought is no longer welcome in my carry-on bag. Allowances have been updated. I'd rather pack what will be useful and joyful for my destination so that when things inevitably get full, and I feel like I'm rushing to pack to get to the airport, wishing that security would go faster, and I'm sprinting to the gate, I can take a second to look around and be grateful for the trip that I get to take.

So with that, here's a running list of -ful words worth making room for in our everyday carry-ons:

Helpful

Bountiful

Cheerful

Wonderful

Joyful

Hopeful

Useful

Artful

Careful

Delightful

Graceful

Grateful

Fruitful

Peaceful

Plentiful

Powerful

Thankful

Beautiful

Thoughtful

Masterful