When planning a trip, like most, I think about what to take and what to leave at home. I used to think I had to pack for all eventualities. However, how much I take determines whether I’ll need a large or a smaller suitcase.
Traveling from Switzerland to Maui/HI is at best a 25-hour trip. If that isn’t exhausting enough, customs regulations in the United States do not make it easy to enter the country. Therefore, I have decided to bring only the bare minimum that will fit into my carry-on luggage. I have learned to appreciate “traveling light.”
I have also learned to travel light in life. What does that mean? Well, to clean up, to sort out, to set priorities and to make peace.
To me, to clean up means, that if I make “a mess,” whether spilling my tea all over my papers or getting myself into a situation where I have to work out a misunderstanding with someone, I solve the problem immediately, right after it happens. It is so much easier to clean things up right away, rather than wait until the tea has stained my tablecloth or live with the hope that the misunderstanding will just go away somehow on its own.
To sort out means to de-clutter all aspects of my life. Everything, which does not give me satisfaction or happiness, I choose to let go of. This is true for getting rid of clothes, kitchen utensils, furniture, books, and yes, to friendships with people as well. If I start feeling that someone drains me, again and again, it might be time to disconnect. Relationships should be a give and take, giving support and receiving support if needed. If it becomes a one-way street, I have a talk with the person or just draw back.
Living life light, I set priorities by deciding what is important to me. Is it really important that I clean the dishes right away, or should I sit down and watch the sunset? Is it more important to finish reading my book or to join my friends for an outing? Is it really important to catch this bus, or can I afford to take the next one and pay attention to the cat that wishes to be petted? I make different choices at different times depending on the situation.
There are still other priorities I have to set. I ask myself, which is more important? Is it my job or my relationship with people, or is it the things I want to do? It can be hard to decide, because I might lose one while I am giving time to the other. And more times than not, I do not want to lose anything. I want to have it all. But if I want to travel light, I must prioritize.
Maybe most importantly I have to make peace with the fact that I can’t have everything, peace with the fact that I might disappoint friends or relatives. I may also have to make peace with the fact that I am a human and not perfect, that I make mistakes and sometimes misjudge. I may also have to take into consideration that sometimes mishaps happen.
Making peace with these events can lead to forgiveness. If I am capable of forgiving the people who supposedly do me wrong or treat me in a way that I think is unfair, then I can also find peace. Most of all, I must forgive myself for all my flaws and imperfections. It is then, I believe, that I can truly live in peace.
Since life is a journey, I have to clean up, sort out, set priorities and make peace all the time. Again and again I have to make decisions about what to take, and what to leave, whether it pertains to a suitcase or a circumstance as it occurs.
Since I no longer take more than I can carry, life has become so much easier, so much lighter. Life is no longer a burden anymore, and I can always start fresh. This way there is no old baggage interfering with any new projects I start.
Naturally, we begin every chapter in our life with the same energy that we ended the last. Therefore, if I carry a lot of baggage around with me, inevitably I will bring it into my new beginnings, whether it’s a new job, a new relationship or anything else I want to start. Acknowledging this, I choose to travel light.