I'm in the midst of packing for a trip. I've got lots of little tasks before I board the plane tomorrow… Clean the house, prepare dog food, load my iPod, um, pack… So naturally I am fitting in time for a post.

Was thinking of which bag to pack. There will be some formal engagements, so I have to bring a suit. I have a nice little "suiter" bag designed for carry-on. Of course, this would allow me to just have everything with me at all times, but I cannot figure out how to pack it without compromising my newly pressed suit.

The alternative is for me to take the bigger bag which is great for suits, but a little too big for the overhead compartment. At first I was reluctant to give up the efficiency of traveling without checking a bag. But then I remembered the words of Jay, a man I've met on some ski trips.

In Jay's hotel room lay a bag the size of an adult hippo. You could have fit a couple of bodies in the thing if need be. As we we razzing him about Bagzilla, Jay came back with a powerful retort:

"Man, I check everything. I don't need to be worrying about bags when I travel…"

If you're not feeling the power of that statement, well, I promise you it had more weight when delivered by a man propped up in his hotel bed by five pillows, margarita in hand. That gave Jay more of an air of authority on relaxation techniques.

So Jay popped into my mind and I'm taking the bigger bag. Yes, I'll have to check in. Yes, I'll probably have to wait 15 minutes to collect my bag. Yes, there's a risk that my bag will go on some adventure without me.

But to be honest, when I'm waiting to board a plane and have to find a spot for my bag, I feel a bit anxious. I feel like I cannot totally relax until my bag is stuffed somewhere above me. I see the same frantic energy in others, some pound pound pounding to make their bags yield to the cramped confines of the compartment.

Sure it sounds like a little thing. And it is. But if you can always sensitize yourself to your personal preferences of what feels better — and choose that — the more ease you'll experience. While operating this way goes against "time management", it's helpful to remember that there's never a rush in life if you're happy right where you are.

Happy Trails,

d

PS — Not bringing a computer, either. (I find that moment in the security line where I'm juggling shoes and a laptop to be both silly and stressful). Don't need the computer either. Using Google Apps, I can access all my files, e-mails, websites, etc from any computer. Freedom! Okay, now I really gotta get my ass in gear…

Spent entirely too much time last week working.

Needed to get out.

Headed north, to a beautiful little lake that I like for a day trip with the kayak.

They do not allow motors on the lake — I really like that — and I had a day of quiet in a really beautiful place.

I didn't trust myself with my good camera near the water, but my old Canon Elph still takes decent shots…

Here are a few:

calm waters, no company

this was harder to take than it looks.

read the paper, had a Vitamin water on a soft, lichen covered rock here.

solitude and a nice swim.

just a shot from the little island I was on

A quick word about kayaks: you should get one.

If there's no water close to where you live, you should move.

Kayaks are great for lots of reasons.

• They're easy to use and hard to tip
• You can go solo
• They require zero gas and zero maintenance
• Like having a dog, kayaks get you outside and exploring
• You can go where motorized boats cannot
• It's good exercise for the upper body
• You'll be able to get close to lots of wildlife — beavers, loons, herons, turtles, ducks, geese…
• Paddling is a meditative motion
• Water heals
• In a few moments with a kayak, you can be in a whole different world

So, I'll be back on the water soon as the leaves begin to change…

Thomas J Leonard — the father of professional coaching and a mentor of mine — created a popular assessment called the Clean Sweep that provided an awareness checklist in four areas of life: your Environment, Health, Money, and Relationships.

The idea of the assessment is that by being aware and handling these areas of your life, the more ease and vitality you'll experience.

You can download the assessment here.

I've worked with the instrument many times, mostly in my early career, and so many of the items on the lists are embedded in my mind.

One item I think of often falls in the Relationships section:

There is no one who I would dread or feel uncomfortable "running across". (In the street, at an airport or party)

Through the years, this awareness has led me to make amends or tie up loose ends with many people. In doing so, there's a feeling of closure. This closure brings peace of mind, similar to having a nagging hangnail heal. In the absence of the distraction, you regain lost energy and can focus your attention in more productive places.

I mention this because I completed a relationship last night.

Some brief background:

Years ago I ran afoul of good judgment and the law (let's just say Michael Phelps and I have something in common and it ain't gold medals). I needed an attorney and called an old family friend. He represented me in court and got me through the ordeal. Weeks and months passed, and I never got a bill in the mail from him.

I called him asking him to bill me, but he just laughed and would have none of it. I thanked him and sent a card expressing my gratitude, but that still did not feel like enough to me. I thought of different things I could do — perhaps send him a gift certificate to a restaurant or something — but in the end, I did nothing.

However, even though the years passed, my consciousness of this imbalance did not fade. Every so often, he would pop into my mind, and that feeling of incompletion would come over me. If I ran across him in an airport, I would have felt awkward for never properly showing my gratitude to him.

I had a recurring thought: I wished that I would see him and his wife in a restaurant some evening and I'd have the opportunity to pick up his tab. That would feel good. And right. A nice, simple gesture. However, this seemed unlikely as our paths do not cross socially. In fact, I had not seen him since we shook hands at the courthouse.

That changed last night. Karin and I went to a new restaurant for dinner. And everything unfolded as it had in my intention so many times. At the next table was my attorney friend and his wife. Their check was on the table just as we were getting our menus. I was able to pick up their tab quietly before they could protest. They appreciated the gesture. It was all over in about 5 minutes.

I write this to share my experience of finally handling this incompletion. In short, I felt a tremendous surge of energy — elation, relief, freedom. I was buzzing so much inside that I had trouble focusing on dinner afterwards. I sat in awe of how things unfolded so closely to my intention (absolutely wild) and so deeply grateful to have paid a karmic debt.

Keep in mind that I am sure my attorney-friend never felt like I owed him anything. The discomfort was on my end only. For years I had not respected my feelings and stepped over my personal sense of integrity. In doing so, I paid the price.

I did not realize how high the costs were until last night. In short, I do not remember ever feeling so good about giving someone a gift. The cost to me was a pittance in comparison to what it bought me: My freedom.

So, if there's some situation in your life that feels incomplete, let me nudge you to handle it. In doing so, you'll regain a piece of your true power. And that's an awesome feeling, I promise you.

Came across this quote. Speaks to very cool living…

"To accuse other for one's own misfortunes is a sign of want of education. To accuse oneself shows that one's education has begun. To accuse neither oneself nor others shows that one's education is complete."

– Epictetus

… I think Epi nailed it there…

'Nother rainbow.

They always seem to appear in the same place…

Anyone know why?

In any case, I am grateful for 'em outside my window…

still no gold at the end of this puppy