Pack: "Make room in your life for "The Better"
reDEFINE PACK... : to make into a compact bundle; to fill with packing; to load
Pack: Make room in your life for “the better”
Every experience we have reveals things that can grow us if we open our eyes and move with the ebb and flow of life. My recent trip to Peru revealed a few illuminating things.
The details of my trip were coordinated through a travel company called, “Pack Light Global.” The name suggests the obvious metaphor of not carrying too much baggage. If you think hard enough you can think of at least one (or more) references to people dragging the baggage of life: emotional baggage, financial baggage, the baggage of past failures, etc. These often represent the things that weigh us down, take up space in your life and in your metaphorical “bags”. This post is not about the weight of the baggage you carry. This post is about intentionally leaving room in your baggage (i.e., mind, heart, life, day, etc.) for something unexpectedly good. Something I will call “The Better.”
I left for my trip to Peru with filled bags. I remember buying two sets of luggage compression packing cubes in an attempt to fit even more stuff. I told myself that I had to pack multiple types of clothes for varying weather conditions and continued to add more stuff.
As I was leaving my husband said something that sort of epitomizes this post, “You have too much stuff, you're not gonna have room to bring anything back.” And as I struggled to carry my overpacked luggage, frustrated with myself, I realized that overpacking is not only about carrying extra weight. It is also about leaving room for the new things. When we are filled to capacity with the stuff, especially the wrong stuff emotionally, cognitively, romantically or in any way we don't have room for the new... something that could be amazingly fantastic.
I met an amazing woman on this trip that shared, at almost 50 years old, she was embarking on a new life path. After starting and maintaining a successful business and raising her son to adulthood, she was revisiting her lifelong dream of being a flight attendant. She admitted that this would be a substantial pay cut but spoke of the interview and steps to move in this direction with such hope and excitement, I knew this was not about money. I was inspired by her ability to fully embrace something new... something that others may not understand. I realized that she could do this because she left room in her bags...for something new.
This week practice a little pruning, moving some of the things packed away in your heart, mind, daily activities, etc. to leave room for something new… "The Better”. In the areas below think of at least one thing you can remove to make room for something else, something better.
