What In My Bag Can I THROW AWAY??!!

What in my bag can I just throw away?

Without much of a choice or second thought.

Think about it.

What truly means something to you?

What can you live with—or without?

What do you actually need in that very moment?

Many people certainly have thought this very thing, in the same situation.

You take a flight.

You think you packed well.

Thoughtfully.

Properly.

You’re quietly proud of yourself.

Yet— to your shock— your bag doesn’t fit in the compartment to be checked.

The airport attendant is impatient, but kind.

They offer solutions. “Try moving what’s on the side zipper pockets into the middle compartment.”

Umm.

Okay.

Umm no.. That doesn’t work.

Yet try it again.

And again, in a different way.

Each time not fitting in the baggage sizer.

Umm.

You protest and claim—

“ They let me go through with a larger one last time “… and it stuffed under the seat …

Yes , that was true ….

However, it squished down better that time , you recall in your mind…. but you just want to proceed and avoid that hefty checked bag fee.

Thoughts race through your head—

Should I throw something out?

Do I need to throw something out?

What can I part with?

What matters most right now?

Panic increases.

I knew I had to try something.

Anything.

Ok.. Well.. Umm…

Ah.

“I’ll just put something on my body.”

More internal panic.

You proceed to layer up: a polka dot pyjama top over your clothes , an infinity scarf, sunglasses, a bright red toque with a large pompom on top and long tassels hanging down.

Looking ridiculous.

But it works.

Especially when you mindfully took time choosing what to pack— each item justified, each one given a reason to come along.

And yet… you think, I probably need it all.

All of it, if only to avoid the carry-on fees.

And somehow, standing there overdressed and overthinking, you realize this isn’t just about a bag.

It’s about how hard it is to let go.

How we carry things “just in case.”

How prepared we want to be for every possible version of ourselves we might become on the trip.

Because choosing what to leave behind is harder than choosing what to take.

Standing there—overdressed and overthinking—

I realized this wasn’t just about a bag.

It was about how hard it is to let go.

How we carry things “just in case.”

How we prepare for versions of ourselves we might never need to become.

Lesson learned:

Sometimes the bag doesn’t need rearranging—

Our priorities do.

What weighs us down isn’t always what we carry, but the fear of needing it later.

And maybe next time, whether packing a bag or moving through life, ask a braver question:

What would happen if I trusted that I already have enough?

That no matter what , we can believe that we have everything we need already.

Later, when the rush had passed and the bag was safely stowed, I thought about how temporary that panic really was. How quickly the moment dissolved once the decision was made. Nothing catastrophic happened because I wore extra layers or because I didn’t discard anything at all. The fear had been louder than the reality. And that feels familiar… how often we brace ourselves for loss, discomfort, or regret that never actually arrives.

Maybe the quiet takeaway is this: we don’t always need to prove preparedness by carrying everything. Sometimes preparedness looks like adaptability. Like trusting ourselves to respond when the moment arrives, rather than trying to predict it in advance. The bag fit. The plane took off. Life moved forward. And so did I—slightly overdressed, a little wiser, and more aware of how much lighter things feel when trust replaces fear.