"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone."  -Thoreau

One of the last things I did before leaving Nelson was give away most of my belongings, another result of my shamanic journey.  I had the sense that I would be gone longer than I had thought I would when I put my belongings into storage.  I thought I had done well whittling my possessions down to an amount that could fit into an eight by four foot storage unit.  My challenge was to get my stuff down to what I could fit into my van.  And Rosa, my van, is an ardent minimalist.

So it was that I found myself on a Saturday morning sorting through my stuff.  Again.  I had put a notification on Nelson Freecycle (a wonderful internet-based network for freely giving and receiving stuff, http://www.freecycle.org/group/CA/BritishColumbia/Nelson) inviting people to come and get my stuff.  Come they did, and away it went: a futon with its frame, some hand drums (ouch), clothes, shoes, kitchenware, all my kayaking gear (sigh), and more.  It was not a comfortable experience to watch some of my stuff go.  Many my most exhilarating and awe-inspiring moments had occurred while kayaking.  I felt like those parts of me were being torn away as one of the first Freecyclers to show up at my give-away took almost every piece of my kayaking equipment.  But the discomfort soon passed and now I have a greater appreciation for the freedom that comes with letting go.  After all, I had only kayaked a couple of times in the past six or seven years.  I can keep the memories without holding onto the stuff.  I don't even need much room for the memories.  Letting go frees up space for exploring all the wonders of life.

I didn't manage to keep only what I could fit in my van - it ain't easy letting go.  I've got four or five boxes at my sister's, a set of summer tires at my mom's, and the seats from my van at a friend's place.  I'm still learning how to let go. 

For anyone looking for extra motivation to acquire less, check out the informative and entertaining video at storyofstuff.com.

When you strip me away,
This is where I would like to
Invent myself.
Standing in the middle of
Who knows where.

Eric

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