Ryan Bingham teaches associate how to downsize. Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
While watching Up in the Air the other night, I realized that David and I have taken a lot of the weight out of our backpack. We sold our house. We sold or donated our furniture, appliances, china, crystal and artwork. We reduced our personal photos to the absolute treasures. We scanned and shredded all files except must-keep tax and legal ones. And we reduced our wardrobe to what would comfortably fit in our RV. Phew! We got rid of a lot of stuff – much of it connected to a meaningful memory. The process was surprisingly freeing!
But, unlike Ryan Bingham, the character George Clooney plays, we still carry a lot in our backpack. They’re essentials that we’d never toss out. They’re our family, our friends, our spiritual community, our talents, our faith, our God – the essentials that fill our lives with love, meaning and purpose. They are the soul of our backpack.
Much as I adored watching George Clooney, his character would never be able to convince me to give up those precious essentials. Without soul, my life would be meaningless.
