I stared at my carry on this morning.
One thought hit me: “No thing really matters.”
I decided to donate my jeans, a T-shirt and likely a few more items of clothing. I will definitely donate my dress shirt and dress pants after using it a few weeks down the road for a formal commitment.
I never wore my jeans, save 1-2 times per year. I wear dress cloths at funerals. Thank goodness I have attended one such event over the past 5 years or so.
I donated my suits months back; I had worn each one once over the past 13 years of my life. What a waste. No thing, or non-sentient item, really matters at all.
I understand how money becomes necessary if you live a worldly life but add minimal, somewhat neutral meaning to the stuff. Money is just money. Help people. Acquire money. Pay for stuff. No big deal.
Ditto for the things I decided to trash versus packing into my carry on. No thing matters much because all meaning for things begins and ends in mind. Living from the heart helps you see the truth: the only thing that matters is loving sentient beings, being of service and living in harmony with what is.
Closing Date
My wife agreed to an offer yesterday. At the earliest, we will be out of the house on July 21st. Guess what? I will travel with a carry on, a Chromebook, laptop and phone. Each thing only matters as much as me deciding not to travel naked and choosing to work online via laptop and phone.
I will not store things anymore. What do I need to store? I can buy a few things on the road but why store some thing I am not using? Genuinely, no thing matters.
I guarantee you; you will NEVER feel as liberated owning 4 things – plus money – as you traverse your homeland, then circle the globe. Christ, Buddha and all spiritual masters radiated love, peace and infinite wisdom because no fear-based attachment to a thing defiled their super consciousness.
Fear Attachment
Assessing my carry on situation, I slowly observed my attachment to a few things. I feared donating my jeans because I feared I may need the jeans. But facing, feeling and releasing the fear revealed the truth: I wear my jeans 1-2 times a year. Jeans do not matter. I can buy jeans if needed but I do not value the uncomfortable pair of pants.
What do jeans represent? What does wearing jeans represent? Do you see what I mean? Who cares?
Jack Reacher
I am a huge fan of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel series. He is a former military police dude and current day tough guy wandering the USA with no possessions save his tooth brush. He works odd jobs to get cash, rides the bus, stays in low profile motels and buys a new pair of shirt and pants in each town, before trashing his current pair.
One friend at a 4th of July cookout yesterday said I was like Jack Reacher now. I never thought of myself being like the guy but yeah, my clothes, carry on, laptops and phone are the only physical things I will take with me. Toss in money too. Literally, I own no other things.
My friend noted I'd be living the dream of experiencing a largely attachment free life. I agreed. Even though I feel sad to let my beloved cats go I know loving homes await for these fur babies. I also know we will return to the tri-state to visit with friends and family.
Matter Is in Mind
Things only matter if you add some sense of value to the things in mind. Ultimately, money could be helpful if you live a worldly life but I have house sat for months at a time and know one can live in gorgeous homes and apartments, rent-free.
Free food is tougher to come by but inexpensive grub can be had anywhere on earth.
I do not intend to live like a beggar on the street but also understand the wisdom of enlightened beings: things do not matter. Things only create attachment, pain and suffering because adding meaning to things creates a deep sense of fear in mind.
Some people foolishly take great pride in their house, car or business but this fear-driven attachment to a thing quickly reveals your low self-esteem, low self-worth, lack of wholeness and low confidence the split second that thing vanishes, disappears or depreciates quickly in value.
Why?
You made some THING matter and without the thing you fear you are not enough.
No thing really matters.
