When Less Becomes Freedom

I have a peculiar habit whenever I travel. My suitcase starts with the basics — clothes, toiletries, shoes. But then, my imagination takes over. What if it rains? In goes the jacket. What if there’s a sudden formal dinner? A blazer gets added. What if I finally start reading that heavy book I ignored for years? Into the bag it goes. By the end, my suitcase looks less like I’m going on a trip and more like I’m moving permanently.

At home, the suitcase sits quietly in the corner, pretending to be obedient. But the moment the journey begins, it reveals its true weight. Dragging it across a railway platform or lifting it into a taxi, I curse myself for every “what if” that sneaked inside. Suddenly, the jacket, blazer, and unread book feel less like companions and more like conspirators.

And yet, there comes a liberating moment — when I finally decide to shed some of it. Leaving behind an item or two not only lightens the suitcase but strangely lightens me. The walk feels freer, the air fresher, and the journey, suddenly, more joyful.

Isn’t life just like this?
We pack ourselves with roles, responsibilities, possessions, even opinions we haven’t “worn” in years. We add layers of knowledge, achievements, and grudges — because, who knows, they might be useful someday! But as the journey unfolds, we discover that much of this baggage only slows us down.

The real art is not in asking, What more should I carry? but What am I ready to set down?

Life, I’ve come to believe, is less about adding and more about subtracting. Less about filling the suitcase and more about emptying it — until we are light enough to walk with ease, almost as if barefoot.

Perhaps the meaning of life is not to leave with the heaviest luggage, but with the lightest laugh.

So, here’s a thought for you today:
What one thing are you still dragging along — an old story, a borrowed worry, an unnecessary possession — that you could joyfully leave behind?

The lighter we become, the more room there is for peace to travel with us.

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Letters for the Inner Journey by Pushkar

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