Letting Go ~ Maintaining focus on future aspirations - not past accomplishments & failures

One of our grandkids lining up the rubber duckies for another
road trip adventure with Grandpa in the hotel pool!

We have been asked by numerous friends and family as to how we were able to emotionally let go of over 90% of our possessions and make the transition toward a nomadic lifestyle.  We smile, because it's akin to the question of "which comes first, the chicken or the egg?"   It can be daunting to let go of the things that represent our past lives... furniture, art, tools, wardrobe and treasured mementos - but that's the point - all those "things" represent the past, not the future. 

And while our past accomplishments may infer the future - those same past mindsets can also limit our future possibilities.  For ourselves, we have come to realize the importance of visualizing our future aspirations, travel destinations, experiences, career accomplishments etc. - and letting go of the emotional fears attached to releasing the things that have represented our past definitions of success and happiness.  

It's kind of similar to the process of a trapeze artist - there is only one way to move on to the the next bar - by letting go of the current one.  Yes, there is the risk of falling - but then there is the risk of never experiencing the rush that comes from moving out of our comfort zones into new and often unpredictable experiences (i.e. there are rarely new experiences inside the box of our past paradigms). 

Touring the Tabasco factory on Avery Island LA

We decided that we were not willing to end up in a couple of rocking chairs later in life lamenting about what we shoulda, coulda done in life! Sure there are certainly times when we have flashbacks of the comfort which our lovely home and past lifestyle provided - but it pales compared to the renewed sense of adventure and enthusiasm we now have for what our expansive tomorrows will bring! The secret has been to focus on what lies ahead and not on what we're letting go of from the past. We realize now that it also emotionally leaves more room to accumulate new and exciting memories - without all those possessions to pack and track!