Excess Baggage What You Carry Around with You

Is it time to lighten your load - literally? I’m talking about all the paraphernalia you're carrying around in your handbag. It’s interesting that many of us seem to have this obsessive need to be able to whip something out of our bag to fix any situation - emergency or not. Where does that come from? Do you know any men who do that? I certainly don’t.

Thinking back to my mother’s era, handbags were neat little containers carried over the wrist that usually contained a lipstick, handkerchief, compact, and maybe a small coin purse.



Do you remember when schoolbags used to be little square cases that held lunch, pencils and a couple of exercise books? Now there are warnings circulating about the damaging effects of heavy backpacks being carried by schoolchildren.



Over time we have seen handbags (and schoolbags) grow and bulge with an assortment of paraphernalia that we've come to need. Where did the compulsion to carry everything and anything around with us come from?



I have to admit I've been guilty of it in the past, and I've discovered that the larger the handbag I own, the more I find to fill it with. So my solution is to downsize. If I carry a smaller handbag, it’s impossible to carry more than the absolute essentials.

Here’s what I've managed to narrow mine down to:

- Money purse
- Cosmetic purse containing comb, lipstick, eye drops, hand cream, small mirror and chap stick.
- Mobile Phone
- Work keys and ID badge
- Reading glasses
- Sunglasses
- Diary with attached pen
- Current bills clipped together with a bulldog clip
- Breath mints
- Occasionally things like my camera or dictaphone.

To compensate though, I keep a few extra items in my car; hand cream, sunscreen, deodorant and an emergency sewing kit.



What about you? What do you carry around with you each day? Perhaps it's time we all took stock and learned to downsize just a little.

#_change
#_control
#_motivation
#_organisation

%selfavenue