Lose the baggage!
The restless spirit has to lose the baggage....
How else can the spirit roam ...wild and free...uninhibited?
Today, I did something I do not like too much but forcibly have to do, once in a while - clean my cupboards, to make space for the new stuff that I compulsively seem to acquire. Bags that catch my fancy, sarees that I love wearing, jewelry that I keep adding to my already "more than required" collection...the list goes on.....
As I spent long and tiring hours this afternoon, making tough, painful, even "emotional" decisions about what to keep and what to let go of....I realized the importance of this kind of cleansing in almost all aspects of our lives, definitely mine!
The facts are straight - there is only that much space in your cabinet, there is that much basic attire that you will always "need", but then there are your "desires", your "wants" ....and that amounts to what I call "luggage". Now beyond a point, one has to take stock and say how much luggage do I want to keep with me, what kind of luggage can I now replace with newer stuff, if required and what do I want to hold on to, for dear life, for memories! Hence the critical and emotional decisions.....
At home, I am actually infamous for my "cleansing" initiatives - I strongly believe that if you have not used something for a very long time - say more than a year or two - you have possibly even forgotten you have them, and hence you obviously don't "need" those anymore. Hence I discard what is not used or give to others who have better use of those items.
Now, please note I hail from a community that loves to dwell in its past glory...Bengal led the way for India a long long time ago, rem? So, Bongs love to hold to past memories....whether or not they have the need, the space or even the respect for the same. The pen your grandfather got from his boss during the British Raj, the black and white photo of your maternal grandparents' wedding, the watch your dad first wore when he graduated, the first pair of earrings you were gifted when you were born .....all very very dear to us and rightly so; hence these should always be "preserved" carefully as heirlooms... here, I may agree. But what I cannot agree to is to keep all the sarees that my zillions of relatives gave me during my wedding 2 decades ago, to keep all the stuff that my now teenaged daughter used when she was a toddler, to keep appliances that we may not have used or even seen for years...hence I discard! Usually, whenever things are not found in my house, I get daggers for looks to enquire ...where and when did you throw them away??
However, I continue unfazed ....more so now, as I reach a stage in my life where I know exactly what I want and what I need for it. I know what kind of clothes or accessories I will now use and the rest I let go, after careful evaluation of the following criteria:
How else can the spirit roam ...wild and free...uninhibited?
Today, I did something I do not like too much but forcibly have to do, once in a while - clean my cupboards, to make space for the new stuff that I compulsively seem to acquire. Bags that catch my fancy, sarees that I love wearing, jewelry that I keep adding to my already "more than required" collection...the list goes on.....
As I spent long and tiring hours this afternoon, making tough, painful, even "emotional" decisions about what to keep and what to let go of....I realized the importance of this kind of cleansing in almost all aspects of our lives, definitely mine!
The facts are straight - there is only that much space in your cabinet, there is that much basic attire that you will always "need", but then there are your "desires", your "wants" ....and that amounts to what I call "luggage". Now beyond a point, one has to take stock and say how much luggage do I want to keep with me, what kind of luggage can I now replace with newer stuff, if required and what do I want to hold on to, for dear life, for memories! Hence the critical and emotional decisions.....
At home, I am actually infamous for my "cleansing" initiatives - I strongly believe that if you have not used something for a very long time - say more than a year or two - you have possibly even forgotten you have them, and hence you obviously don't "need" those anymore. Hence I discard what is not used or give to others who have better use of those items.
Now, please note I hail from a community that loves to dwell in its past glory...Bengal led the way for India a long long time ago, rem? So, Bongs love to hold to past memories....whether or not they have the need, the space or even the respect for the same. The pen your grandfather got from his boss during the British Raj, the black and white photo of your maternal grandparents' wedding, the watch your dad first wore when he graduated, the first pair of earrings you were gifted when you were born .....all very very dear to us and rightly so; hence these should always be "preserved" carefully as heirlooms... here, I may agree. But what I cannot agree to is to keep all the sarees that my zillions of relatives gave me during my wedding 2 decades ago, to keep all the stuff that my now teenaged daughter used when she was a toddler, to keep appliances that we may not have used or even seen for years...hence I discard! Usually, whenever things are not found in my house, I get daggers for looks to enquire ...where and when did you throw them away??
However, I continue unfazed ....more so now, as I reach a stage in my life where I know exactly what I want and what I need for it. I know what kind of clothes or accessories I will now use and the rest I let go, after careful evaluation of the following criteria:
- When did I last use this item?
- What are the chances I will be able to use again - vis-a-vis size or style?
- What are the emotions / memories attached to it that I risk losing, should I chose to discard?
And after my exercise today, I promised myself that I will not buy any 1 more piece of attire, without letting go of atleast 2 in exchange. This is my small attempt to discipline myself to "lose the luggage" that I really don't need... and this coming from a compulsive shopper, was a tough one....do wish me loads and loads of luck on this one :(
Given my current outlook on life, I realize I can expand this revelation to my life in general ....
I have 1 life, I have that many "needs", but I have always had loads of "wants" and "desires" that have accumulated into "luggage".....now, my needs have changed, if I am now "restless" - aspiring to be "free", I need to "lose that additional luggage" too!
So what do I need to do? Review all that I have gathered over the years - my relationships, my perspectives, my beliefs, my habits ....and see what out of that basket do I need to hold on to, what do I need to replace with new thoughts and what do I need to let go....
Ofcourse, certain basics I will always retain - my value systems, my roots, my culture, my loved ones, but for the rest... a cleansing is absolutely required ... I am going to "lose the baggage", so that my restless spirit gets lighter and lighter and is able to soar higher and higher...
May 31, 2013; 5.09 pm
Dubai
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