As promised, this week I’ll start with the first key to personal empowerment – Travelling Light. Why did I choose this specific key to start with? Well, I did name my business (Travel Light Transformation Life Coaching) after this one, so for me it really is significant! The rest of the nineteen keys will be dealt with randomly in no specific order of importance, but I just had to start with my foundation key first.
I also just want to make it clear before I start unlocking the keys, that for me, and this is VERY IMPORTANT; Empowerment or being powerful, obviously doesn’t mean benching 400 lbs, nor does it mean invincibility, superhero mental or emotional strength, or having the ability to do everything exceptionally well and with ease. For me, being the best version of yourself is the most powerful state any person can be in.
Unpacking the Power of Travelling Light
With that being said, let’s tackle the first lock:
I love the analogy that compares life with a journey.
Although the final destination for all might be the same, every one of our journeys is different and unique. Some stages of this journey can become quite boring, like driving for hours through a monotonous landscape. We get up, go to work, come home, attend to choirs, kids, spouses, go to sleep, and start all over again the next day.
Other stages may be exhilarating, like getting married, being in love, going on holiday or graduating from college. But unfortunately we also encounter stages that can be really tough. Mountain passes, dangerous 4×4 tracks, or running out of fuel on a deserted road. In life we unexpectedly encounter difficulties: a loved one passes away, we go through a divorce, we are diagnosed with an incurable disease, we lose our job, we become a victim of crime, it’s an endless list.
When we get to this part of our journey, the tough part, it’s really important that our luggage is practically packed. If you’ve ever had a flat tire while going on holiday with a packed car, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Are You Travelling Heavy?
If you are a heavy traveller, you might agree that you tend to carry luggage that are way too heavy, for just in case you might need some of it somewhere along the trip. We also tend to pack way too much food for the road (“padkos” as we call it in Afrikaans), which lead to emotional eating, eating from boredom, and feeling uncomfortable and bloated for most of the journey.
By carrying these heavy bags, we quickly get tired and so exhausted, that we miss out on all the beautiful scenery, fun and opportunities we could have experienced along the way. I can’t help but to get a blast from the past: me, the underground in London, luggage, more luggage, and loads of frustration, irritation and inconvenience! Life works exactly the same.
We pack past hurts, bad experiences, negative emotions, our unwanted circumstances and unkind words in our mental and emotional baggage that we carry with us every day. Cesare Pavese added to that by saying: “If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.”
We use all our energy just to lift these bags and carry it with us through life. We are constantly tired, showing symptoms of depression and anxiety, irritated, empty and overwhelmed. As a consequence, we miss out on the joy and life in abundance that is available to us NOW, just because we’re struggling with all this heavy baggage. And most of it is not even serving us anymore. Silly, isn’t it?
Travel Light By Unpacking Your Mental and Emotional Baggage
By taking some time out, unpacking your mental and emotional baggage, you can ensure that when the going gets tough, at least your luggage is practical and light, and you have free hands and more creative energy to deal with the situation.
On the other hand, if you currently find yourself already on a slippery 4×4 track, you rapidly need to get rid of your overload to avoid a fatal accident. After completing the 20-hour Transformation Coaching System™ with me where I help you to drop mental and emotional baggage, you will be able to get a firm grip on the wheel, steer your car deliberately, drop a gear if necessary, and continue safely on your journey. This is also one of the natural remedies for depression and anxiety.
Another benefit of Travelling Light, is that you will be able to live in the moment, to be more present, or mindful.
The Power of Travelling Light for the Believer:
It’s so easy to feel far from God while you carry lots of unnecessary luggage. You don’t feel like you have enough time or energy to spend on your relationship with God. Dropping your mental and emotional baggage is not only a successful habit, but it also frees up your spirit so that you can feel closer to God. (The truth is, God is always very close to us, but our deceiving emotions cause us to feel far from God.)
About The Keys of Personal Empowerment
Now, as I continue using keys to unlock personal empowerment, I will start giving practical tips in my Articles on how to use these keys at home. DIY keys – (I like the sound of that!)
If you start to implement these tips slowly into your daily life, you will change bad habits, and replace them with successful habits.
These Articles will always be freely available online, so please don’t stop sharing them with all your friends. You never know the real needs, pain and baggage people that you encounter every day, carry with them. They might just read something on a particularly bad day that gives them that little ray of hope they needed.
Contact me TODAY for a free 30 min online Session!
I am a certified Transformation Life Coach operating in Riebeek Kasteel, Western Cape of South Africa. I also do virtual online life coaching sessions, so no matter where you are situated, all you need is an internet connection, a mobile phone or computer, and a space where you can meet with me uninterruptedly once a week for two hours.
Please share this Article with as many people as you want. And leave a comment below on your travelling experience where you can relate to the importance of Travelling Light. In life, and or on the road.
Next week: Key #2 / 20 – The power of Mindfulness. Make sure you don’t miss that one; lots of practical tips on how to live in the moment!
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