Happy New Year ,
First a quote: “You can’t launch a new quest with old baggage.” — Spencer Johnson, M.D.
As I draft this week’s Monday Morning Minute, I’m mindful that the start of a new year—or a new chapter—often invites reflection.
It’s a natural time to pause and consider what we are carrying forward with us… and what we might be better off leaving behind.
Most of you will know, my career choice involves a lot of travel. As a travel professional, I have learned the value of “traveling light.” It also means packing along only what is necessary.
Here’s a distinction worth exploring:
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Luggage is intentional, often necessary, helpful, important, and value added.
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Baggage is burdensome, often heavy, exhausting, and weighs a person down.
Luggage is what we choose to bring along as we journey through life; lessons learned, wisdom earned, gratitude gained, and experiences that have shaped us for the better. Luggage supports the journey ahead.
Baggage, on the other hand, is often carried unconsciously. It’s the unresolved resentment, lingering disappointment, self-doubt, regret, old stories we keep telling ourselves, and yes—past grudges we’ve been holding onto far longer than we realize.
While the author is unknown, the following quote is often attributed to St. Augustine, Nelson Mandela, or Buddha:
“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
Yet many of us do exactly that. We cling to old hurts, replay conversations from years ago, or quietly carry frustration toward someone who may not even be aware of it. The cost? Our energy, our clarity, and our capacity to move forward fully present.
Here’s the hard truth:
You can’t travel light while hauling around excess emotional stuff. This baggage slows us down, negatively shapes our attitude, and is destructive in our most important relationships.
Our “mental junk” accumulates slowly—one irritation at a time, one disappointment left unprocessed, one assumption left unchallenged. Before long, the mental garage is so cluttered that there’s little room left for creativity, joy, happiness, or growth.
If you’re entering the new year exhausted, you may be carrying around too much excess baggage.
The invitation this week is simple, but not easy:
Pause. Reflect. Choose intentionally.
What lessons from the past will truly serve me going forward? (That’s luggage.)
And, what am I still carrying that no longer fits the person I want to become? (That’s baggage.)
Starting a new year isn’t about pretending the past didn’t happen. It’s about choosing what’s worth carrying forward — and what isn’t.
So maybe — just maybe — as we clean out our closets, garages, and storage bins, we also do a little mental housecleaning. You don’t have to discard everything. But you do get to decide what earns a place in the trunk, closet, or your mental garage.
Ask yourself:
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What thoughts from last year are still taking up space — and costing me energy?
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What beliefs might limit my growth, confidence, or leadership?
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What am I holding onto that needs to be released, not revisited?
As you move into this week, this month, and this year—may you travel lighter, clearer, and more intentionally.
How will you live, love, or lead differently this week?
Bonus Quotes Below.
All the best in 2026!.
Bryan Yager
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
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Bonus Quotes:
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“Resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die .” – often attributed to Nelson Mandela and/or St. Augustine
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“Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” – Nelson Mandela
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“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou
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“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” – Mark Twain
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“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” – Buddha
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“To carry resentment is to carry a burden heavier than the offense itself.” – Eckhart Tolle
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“Letting ourselves feel the weight of our emotions is what gives us the courage to let them go.”- Bren é Brown
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“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.” – William Arthur Ward
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“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
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“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.” – Carl Jung
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