A Lesson on Worldly Possessions
"Keep only the things that bring joy to your heart" - Marie Kondo
I’ve circled the globe, and no matter where you go in the world, you will likely always find a souvenir shop close by.
Purchasing a small memento is fun! They are a timeless keepsake that signify the remembrance of your trip, or perhaps they could be a gift for someone else to let them know you were thinking of them.
It is not a bad thing to have items. In human history, we need them to survive. They are tools for survival, toys to play with, provide comfort to us, and can be an extension of ourselves. These items can bring us joy and happiness.
But when do you let go of these items?
When my wife and I traveled the world, we only brought two backpacks, each. You don’t need much. A few shirts, shorts, a pair of pants, sweatpants, a light jacket, a hoodie, a pair of socks, all purpose sandals, and toiletries. I also brought my laptop, drone, chargers, and GoPro equipment.
However, I actually wish I brought less.
I regretted packing too much. Carrying around two bulky backpacks grew cumbersome. The baggage that I carried weighed me down.
I didn’t need all the GoPro gadgets I brought with me. I didn’t need all the cough drops I brought. And worst of all, I didn’t need the neck pillow. It took up too much space in my Osprey Backpack, and it wasn’t even comfortable.
Yet, I held onto it the entire trip “just incase” I needed it.
While traveling, I thought of our house back at home. I thought if all the stuff that was sitting in my basement for our “Just incase" moment somewhere in the future.
Jerry Seinfeld has a hilarious bit on how your house is essentially a rotating garbage assembly line.
“All things on earth only exist in different stages of becoming garbage”
It rotates around the house and once it reaches the garage it is doomed to be garbage and you will never use it and you will eventually throw it out.
It is a good thing to be prepared for the future and to remember the past and where you came from. But in order to grow, we must move forward. We’ve grown into something else than what we previously were in the past. We must learn to let go.
Jordan Peterson has a great speech on “Deadwood.”
“The more wood you burn off, the less it accretes around you.”
This can be true for bad habits, poor relationships, or for material possessions that weigh us down.
“It’s much better and much easier to decide to let go of it yourself rather than if it’s forcibly taken away from you. Because you’ve decided you’re done with that, and you’re much less likely to fight it.”
In my yoga teacher training, I learned when you let go of something, you create space for something new. Let go, so you can make space.
I still have room for improvement, but I purged multiple car loads of stuff immediately upon arriving back home after our 3 month backpacking trip around the world.
“Keep only the things that bring joy to your heart, or ‘Spark Joy’” - Marie Kondo
What can you let go of today to create space for something new tomorrow?