John Paul Strong

Life is Like a Suitcase

Life is like a suitcase. You only need to pack what you need. I’ve learned this over the years, and it has really perfected my ability to both pack a suitcase physically as I go on trips, and pack one mentally as I go on a trip through life.

This came to me one day while thinking about everything I needed to pack for the day. It was early in the morning, and I had just worked out. I was on my way back home to pack. The trip had a lot of different parts and pieces. Some of it was work, some were pleasure and relaxation. Anytime I have to go on a trip like that, packing is always an abnormal challenge. But as I started thinking about it, only packing what you need is a metaphor for how I’ve decided to live my life in general. Some things aren’t worth taking with you, mentally or physically. And sometimes, you think you’re going to need a hell of a lot more than you actually will need for your trip.

When I came up with the thought, Life is like a suitcase; you should only pack what you need, what I really thought about was the idea of leaving problems behind you. You leave people behind you, in some instances. Not everyone is going to go with you on your journey. Sometimes, whether it’s problems, issues, situations, or even an extra shirt you don’t need for your trip, it is okay to leave things behind.

I’ve really developed that lately in both how I pack my mental suitcase and my physical one. Only take with you what you need, leave behind what you don’t, and don’t worry about the rest because every day is a new adventure.