Because I travel so much, I bring my workout clothes and shoes

“Because I travel so much, I bring my workout clothes and shoes wherever I go. That way I can always do some exercise.” Thus spoke Gail Simmons, and though her words concern the simple discipline of health, they carry the weight of ancient wisdom: that constancy of practice is the secret to strength, and that the wise carry with them not only garments and possessions, but the habits that preserve the body and steady the soul.

When Simmons declares she brings workout clothes and shoes wherever I go, she reveals a principle far deeper than convenience. For travel scatters routine, uproots the familiar, and tempts the mind to abandon its commitments. Yet she refuses to surrender discipline to the tides of circumstance. She understands that exercise, like all forms of self-care, is not an occasional indulgence but a lifelong covenant. Wherever she travels, she carries not only her luggage but her resolve.

The ancients knew this same truth. Consider the Spartans, who in war and in peace trained their bodies daily, for they understood that strength must be constant, not conditional. Or recall Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic emperor, who carried with him not workout clothes but his book of reflections, writing wisdom in the camp tents of battlefields. He too knew that virtue and discipline must travel with the soul, never left behind in palaces of ease. Simmons’ practice, though modest in form, echoes the same philosophy: constancy in discipline brings peace of mind and resilience of body.

There is also in her words the quiet defiance of chaos. Travel is movement, disruption, exposure to new lands, new foods, new demands. Yet she plants within it an anchor. By carrying her simple tools of discipline, she reminds herself that though the world may change around her, her center remains firm. This is a lesson not only for the body but for life: that one must carry inward practices that preserve stability amid the storms of change.

History again gives witness. Think of Mahatma Gandhi, who wherever he went carried his spinning wheel, a symbol of self-reliance and discipline. Or the wandering monks of many traditions, who carried their prayer beads, ensuring that even in foreign lands their hearts remained tethered to the eternal. Their example shows that the wise do not abandon their disciplines when the road calls—they carry them, so that the road itself becomes part of the practice.

The meaning is clear: discipline is portable. If you seek strength, do not confine it to one place or one season. Carry it with you, wherever life leads. Just as Simmons carries her shoes so she may run in any city, so too must you carry your habits of learning, kindness, prayer, or reflection. Do not allow the excuse of circumstance to sever your bond with what makes you whole.

Practical action flows easily: choose one discipline that nourishes your body, mind, or soul, and vow to carry it with you always. If you travel, take with you the tools you need. If you are busy, carve out the smallest time. If you are weary, let habit carry you forward when will falters. For it is in constancy, not occasional bursts, that true strength is built.

Thus, let Gail Simmons’ words be remembered: “Wherever I go, I carry what I need to stay strong.” Do likewise. Carry with you the habits that give life. For the wise do not leave their strength behind at home—they weave it into their journey, so that every road becomes a training ground, and every step an act of resilience.