** The first three books in my six-part dystopian series have officially made their way out into the world! Check them out!
For the sake of blogging, self-exploration, and contemplation, I’ve been slowly making my way through answering questions from this list
Today’s Question: If you were forced to eliminate every physical possession from your life with the exception of what could fit into a single backpack, what would you put in it?
This question will be an easy one because I’ve actually, literally, done this before. When I moved to Nashville, I packed almost all of my possessions into boxes and left them with my old roommate. I told her that I’d send her a few hundred bucks in a few weeks once I got there and got settled. I packed essentials (the stuff you’d take on a vacation with you per say) into a suitcase, and my dog into her carrying bag and hopped onto the flight.
Once I got to Nashville and got settled, I realized that the majority of my possessions weren’t things I needed or missed. I ended up asking her to give away my things and in turn she could keep anything she wanted (and this was a lot of stuff, mind you.) I started over from scratch. Obviously I’ve gained more possessions since then, but shedding almsot all of my material possessions at the time and starting fresh really helped me move forward with my life and taught me what my priorities were. Now, I buy what I need, but I don’t buy things that are of no particular use. I don’t value possessions over experiences and relationships. I recommend everyone try a “cleanse” and see what they can learn from it. What I learned is that the only thing that belonged to me that really mattered, was my dog who is not a possession, but a living, loving, being. Yes, we all need basic clothing and hygiene (oh, and I did have my computer as well) but everything else is just decoration when it comes down to it. To answer the actual question, what would (or in my case, what did) I put in my backpack? Some clothing essentials (shirts, pants, underwear, socks, bra) basic hygiene items (toothbrush/toothpaste, deoderant, etc), and photos. If you have a few trinkets that actually, truly mean something to you, keep them, but let everything else go. I’ve come to embrace the minimalism mindset, it helps me to keep my life and priorities in a really healthy perspective.
Kell Frillman - Author 