I just returned home from a trip to visit with family.  Lugging my overstuffed suitcase everywhere, I got to thinking about the way I pack as a good metaphor to help me with changes in the New Year.  You see, I am an over-packer.  I tend to start with a list of things I need, and then with every extra inch of space I shove in all the things I worry that I’ll need,” just in case.”  What if it rains, snows, gets hot, or cold, or what if one of us gets sick, or forgets their gloves, or needs an extra pair of socks.  Before long, every inch of my suitcase is stuffed, making it not only a burden to carry, but actually hard to see and use the things I really want.The things I carry out of fear have a way of holding me down on many levels.  It makes me wonder what kinds of worries or negative thinking is crowding my mind and slowing me down in reaching my goals.  Self doubt has a way of slipping into empty spaces, as do resentments, crowding out creativity or daydreams.  So I ask myself, how much room do I give negative thinking in my time and energy?  How much space do I stuff in with worries that make it hard to see the growth and joy that I really want?

Letting go of unnecessary mental baggage is truly liberating.  The first step will be for me to resist the urge to think that “more” is better, trying to be prepared for one more concern or “just in case” situation.  Sometimes thinking less actually gives more clarity and more flexibility in handling what is happening in the moment.  I need to ask myself, is this thought something that will free me up or will it weigh me down?  Is it a positive plan or a worry?  Is it a motivation or a self judgment?   Going lighter might just be a better way to travel and make my life’s path a more enjoyable journey.