What's In Your Backpack?

"Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough." ~Charles Dudley Warner

A couple nights ago I watched Up in the Air with George Clooney. In the movie George Clooney’s character is an inspirational speaker who gives a talk called “What’s In Your Backpack?” In this talk he uses the metaphor of a backpack that contains all of our possessions and commitments. He argues that all our relationships and stuff is too much extra baggage to carry around. It is so heavy that it’s nearly impossible to move. He counsels that we should walk around life with an empty backpack - free of these things that weigh us down.

It’s true that some stuff and people in our lives can be onerous, but do you really want an empty backpack? As I went for my run today I started to think about that. I see his point that certain possessions can really weigh you down - it may feel like they end up owning you instead of vice versa. While I have been focusing on simplifying my life and getting rid of things that I no longer need, I decided I definitely wouldn’t want to get rid of all possessions. In addition to a few prized possessions, I’m happy to fill my backpack with assets (in the Rich Dad, Poor Dad meaning of the word.) Income-producing property (whether real property, investments, or intellectual property) is the type of property that won’t weigh you down... rather it lifts you up. I wouldn’t mind having much less of the other stuff, but I’m happy to fill my backpack with real assets.

With regards to people... it’s true that there are some people that are real downers. They come with too much baggage and they drain your energy. It’s ok to take those types of people out of your backpack. However, there are people with whom you have very meaningful relationships. These are the people who lift you up, help carry your burdens, and sometimes help carry you. Those are definitely keepers. Not only do they make the journey easier, they also make it fun.

So do I want to have an empty backpack? Not a chance!