Several months ago, I flew to San Francisco for a road trip up the Northern California coast. I was meeting a friend for the drive and we were taking a fun little convertible. Something I had always wanted to do. For those of you that have or have had a convertible, you know one of things you give up when the top is down…is trunk space…which meant I had to pack light. I had to let go of excess baggage for the joy of a free feeling ride.
So with each packing decision was the question do I really need this or not. I was continually choosing between a want and a need in this packing exercise. And, I had to trust and not prepare for every possible contingency. I was amazed in the end of what was actually essential. In a way, it was completely freeing because I had to eliminate the noise and define my packing truth so to speak. And as I did so, I couldn’t help but begin making a comparison of packing light for this trip and packing light for the ultimate journey of living.
And, I kept thinking that the more willing I am to define my needs in a situation, whether it be packing for a road trip or a new relationship the cleaner and sweeter they have the possibility to be because I am not carrying a heavy load as I go. And, I am not bringing with me fear, pride, prejudice, judgment, self- righteousness, addiction, and a victim consciousness…all of that yucky stuff that makes authentic living elusive.
In the case of things, this might be a very large mortgage, car payments, and more things then we truly need as we have been sold on the illusion that things are where happiness comes from and, the irony is at some point these things move us from joy to bondage to continue to fund the things. It doesn’t start off that way it is just that over time these things add up just like our experiences add up and both from time to time must be cleaned out for us to enjoy the gift of living.
Leaving the safe zone for the scary space of the unknown by clearing out things I have formed attachments to requires walking in faith. I think of it as shedding my old skin so the new can emerge. A scary exercise for sure. Yet if I can keep the faith, ultimately a fresh gentle breeze of renewal, hope, happiness, and lightness shows up.
To realize this lightness I need four key ingredients self-awareness, discernment, and authentic trust and faith, the faith that comes from deep within. Without these, false fear and doubt reign supreme. And there isn’t much to enjoy when I am in the midst of the heavy baggage of false fear and doubt. And, yes it does require conscious effort and sustained practice to develop strong faith and trust muscles which may also mean stripping myself of false belief, yet without Trust and faith the present can be a scary place. And I recognize that my faith is the substance from which things hoped for become real, the evidence of things not yet seen, a tool that provides the fuel for a free feeling and enjoyable ride for it gives me the courage to pack light.
