"Packing Light for Life"
by Suzanne Liese

I believe that my life will be richer when I get rid of excess crap. Do I really need the photography equipment I've been hauling around since sophomore year? I used to believe there was no such thing as too many books. For the 20 years since I've moved out of my childhood home, I have been  packing, unpacking, and re-shelving more and more tomes.  All were purchased for enlightenment. Not only am I still seeking enlightenment, I'm now seeking ways to lighten my load. Books have been weighing me down. Having less would save me back pain every time I move.  Besides, I love libraries.

I believe consuming fewer calories will give me more energy. I am often surprised by how much better I feel when my entire food intake for the day resembles what's in my  bunny's feed dish. Just before Thanksgiving, I was chatting with the friend at whose home I would be having Thanksgiving dinner. She listed off all the delicacies she was planning to serve three: varieties of potatoes, four different vegetable dishes, stuffing, cranberry something or other, two different pies, and of course, turkey. She was expecting only six people!

I believe less choices makes for more sane decision making. A couple of years ago I built a home. One of the most exciting, creative phases was also the most stressful, unnecessarily stressful, I believe. The whole interior was to be one sprayed-on color. Since I was fortunate enough to have only a few options for carpeting, I had picked my Café au Lait with ease and confidence. The paint however, had myriad possibilities. I thought I could hold back the deluge by declaring,  beige.  Little did I know that there are hundreds of variations on this seemingly mundane theme! If I had been afforded only say, three choices of beige, my Xanax prescription would have lasted longer.

I believe that if we Americans expected less of the world's resources to be readily available upon our every whim, the more credibility we would have with the rest of the world.   Because I truly believe this, I try do my own small part. I use less paper and plastic by having more reusable bags on hand for shopping. I try to find creative ways to conserve water. By following the Girl Scout Camp credo: "If it's yellow let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down,"  I believe I am helping the cause. 

I believe less is more. Lightening my load has increased my mental capacity, emotional energy, and physical fitness. Although we are constantly bombarded with messages of acquisition, collection, consumption, I say purge and ye will be happier.

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