Once you’re aware of the suitcase/handle problem, you’ll see it everywhere. People glomonto words and stories that are often just stand-ins for real action and meaning. Advertiserslook for words that imply a product’s value and use that as a substitute for value itself.Companies constantly tell us about their commitment to excellence, implying that this meansthey will make only top-shelf products. Words like quality and excellence are misapplied sorelentlessly that they border on meaningless.

Imagine an old, heavy suitcase whose well-worn handles are hanging by a few threads. Thehandle is “Trust the Process” or “Story Is King”—a pithy statement that seems, on the face ofit, to stand for so much more. The suitcase represents all that has gone into the formation ofthe phrase: the experience, the deep wisdom, the truths that emerge from struggle. Too often,we grab the handle and—without realizing it—walk off without the suitcase. What’s more, wedon’t even think about what we’ve left behind. After all, the handle is so much easier to carryaround than the suitcase.