I love to spend my downtime sinking into a good TV show or movie — especially crime dramas, medical series, and anything involving a puzzle that needs to be solved. It is one of my favorite forms of self-care and peaceful enjoyment, the kind that lets my mind escape the world’s chaos while still keeping my brain engaged. I encourage you to find something you genuinely enjoy, something that gives you a moment of peaceful existence, even for a couple of hours. TV is one of my outlets. It is my pause button and my soft landing. Don’t judge me! One of the shows I have been enjoying lately is Elsbeth.

If you watch the CBS show Elsbeth, you will notice something instantly: the woman always carries bags, not one, not two, but a whole collection. At first, it feels like a running joke or a character quirk meant to make her memorable. However, the more you watch, the more there is meaning and something to be applied to us personally. You realize the bags are not the story — they are simply the illustration. The real message sits beneath the straps, and it has everything to do with how we move through our lives.

Many of us carry far more than anyone realizes. We juggle responsibilities, emotions, deadlines, disappointments, family needs, silent battles, dreams that feel too fragile to say out loud, and so on and so on. Yet, the world will often take one look at what we carry — our pace, our quirks, our style, our coping systems — and make assumptions. We may be labeled as unorganized, deemed to be overwhelmed, or even barely functioning. Just like viewers might mistake Elsbeth’s bags for chaos, people can easily misread our complexity as instability. But the truth is simple: carrying a lot does not mean you are falling apart. Sometimes, it means you are extraordinarily competent and capable.

The bags also speak to something more profound: we each have a unique way of navigating life, and it does not have to look efficient or polished to be effective. Some people thrive with systems and structure. Others thrive with layered thoughts, intuitive leaps, creativity, and adaptability like me. Society loves to reward the “clean” version of intelligence — the one that looks neat on the outside — but some of the sharpest minds operate in ways others will never fully understand. What matters is not whether your method fits the norm; what matters is whether your method works for you.

There is also a lesson about being misunderstood. Many of us know what it feels like to be underestimated because of how we look, how we move, how we speak, or how we show up. We know what it feels like for others to make snap judgments before they have taken five seconds to learn who we truly are. Nonetheless, being underestimated is not always a curse. Sometimes, it quietly becomes your advantage. When you stop performing for approval and start operating in authenticity, you gain the freedom to think clearly. You can act boldly and surprise people who never saw you coming.

The bags, in a symbolic sense, also reflect the invisible loads people carry daily: emotional weight, old trauma, or new pressure. They symbolize the obligations we never asked for but still manage with grace and the hopes we are fighting for in silence. All of that is real. The lesson? Carrying a heavy load does not make you weak. No, it makes you resilient. Your ability to keep going, to keep showing up, to think, to care, and to thrive despite what rests on your shoulders is a testament to your strength, not your struggle.

So, accept this as your reminder: do not shrink yourself to appear “simple” or digestible. Do not hide your quirks because someone else lacks imagination. Do not downplay your brilliance because it does not look like someone else’s blueprint. Your layers, your methods, your instincts, your creativity, and your load — all are apart of what makes you who you are.

Elsbeth’s bags might draw a laugh on screen, but the underlying message is not humorous at all. The bags are a clue — a reminder that complexity should never be confused with confusion. They remind us that difference should never be mistaken for deficiency. Finally, they remind us that carrying a lot does not mean you are losing control. It might, however, tell you that you are managing more than the average person could handle, and doing it with a quiet strength no one sees until the results speak for themselves.

Yes, I just gave you a deep analysis of a TV show — and I truly hope you check it out, because it offers more meaningful lessons than you would expect. Here is what I hope you will glean from it:

Carry what you need. Carry what matters. Carry what helps you move through life with clarity and purpose. Above all, carry it without apology.

Coach Erika