Thursday Seeds |  Lighten the Load

Remember the old adage, keep it simple? It helps with the idea of lightening the load. How much work do you actually have to do? Maybe if you make the goals simple, you would then realize that your time estimate is off by half because you have time to spare. Or if you don’t have time to spare, you could be doing three steps that aren’t needed.  Would you be willing to change? So that your load was lighter, your time estimate more valid?

These things seem simple in general terms. When you are in the midst of project tangles, sometimes it is hard to see the forest for the trees. The key is to use your tools. And now that you have tools…

It might be a good idea to repack your pack. Heavy things go to the bottom. Maybe the sleeping pad at the very bottom for balance but the cooking and other heaving things need to sit near the bottom without clanging. Pack sacks or t-shirt fillers, do it! There are actually folks who have traveled the same way you are going and packed their bags hundreds of times. They know how to pack for the short trip AND the long one. Do you? Could a few tips and tricks from these folks help you out? Could be asking for help is a good idea. Could be that letting folks know what you are doing could spur conversation enough for you to know that they have tips for you. That girl that lives at the end of the road might know more about back packing than you thought. Start the conversation. Don’t be too proud to ask for help.  And I’ll say it one more time, just for me. Don’t be too proud to ask for help.

Maybe just talking these things out loud will spur your own ideas. Oh yes, I remember now, I need that lighter in the lid so I can pull it out without having to take the whole pack apart to find it.  The other thing is toss what’s not needed. You don’t need that extra blanket and the towel is too heavy. Take the flip flops and throw them out. The boots are better than that! 

You have too much fuel? Burn it off. You can have not one but TWO pots of tea at the end of tonight so that tomorrow’s pack is lighter of stove gas. 

And what of the things? You know the ones that you’ve been saving that sit in your garage for the day you need them? (Which never comes or does come and you can’t find the damn thing.)  And the ones that sit in front of the one that you desperately need. You can’t get to them. You see it, but only the corner of it and to get to it, you’ll have to move about six different things. Things you haven’t needed in a long time or things that aren’t even in the corner of the garage that they are supposed to be with. 

You have that friend that wants to give you things? The one that thinks that you should have their cast off art? (That you aren’t even fond of…). “Why, thanks for thinking of me but really you should give that to someone who needs it. I don’t see where I’d have the room to store it.”

This is how you say NO in a nice way.  If it doesn’t work, then just say it. DO NOT take the things unless you are taking them straight away to a donation center.

Lighten the load.

You feel bad because you didn’t want someone else’s cast offs? Toss the guilt. They don’t need to see those things at your house. Because if they did, then they could see them at THEIR house!  ( Does this sound like what a man would say?) Mentors.

You have a long walk to do. I don’t know why but it’s lighter when you have a person to walk with. Maybe you talk about all the things you don’t have time to say otherwise or you don’t even talk at all, you just listen to music together. The load is still lighter and you didn’t even have to re-pack that pack.   

Strengthen your muscles for the next long walk. It won’t seem as hard as the one yesterday. Build. Build a little at a time with consistent practice and you are climbing the stairs of a mayan temple in no time. It’s not about age, it’s about use it or lose it on those muscles.

Conserve the resources. Your boots are tough, but do you really need to walk on ever tree root in the trail? Could you not just step over them and save your feet? Maybe there is a a technique of step, rest, step with intention that you could employ on this long walk that would help you conserve energy. Suddenly your long walk seems a little shorter. You can use that foot energy for the walk tomorrow.

Pay attention to your pack, your stance, your attitude, and pick your path carefully. 

Seeds get tossed. See what roots.