Last summer, I spent three months backpacking in Iceland. I’d hiked before. I’d camped before. But I’d never backpacked. I’d never slung my food and shelter over my shoulder and trekked. Last summer, for 84 days and over 300 miles, that’s what I did. And my pack taught me something about the relationship between the light and the heavy.
In a practical, physical way, my pack was heavy. With a full food-load, it weighed 35-40 pounds (16-18 kg). My pack made every step more difficult. It stressed my back muscles and my calves, which flexed to keep me from folding forward or falling to one side. But in a figurative, metaphysical way, my pack was light. It was a source of freedom. Within my pack was everything I needed to live. And because I could carry my life on my back, I could go anywhere I wanted and stay as long as I liked.
In all literal senses of the word, my backpack was a burden. Yet, during those three months in Iceland, I felt lighter—more free—than any other time in my life. I felt entirely unburdened. It seems like a paradox, but it’s just one of the many manifestations of duality in life: the duality of the light and heavy.
Heaviness may seem negative, but it’s not. Heaviness is grounding, purposeful, intentional. Every commitment you make, every relationship you have, every goal you pursue is within the domain of the heavy. And lightness is not all positive. The more free you are from commitment and responsibility, the more aimless you may feel. My backpack was light and heavy—a demanding commitment and a critical responsibility, yet a source of unprecedented freedom.
Maybe your commitments and responsibilities feel burdensome, rather than meaningful or liberating. Our heavy burdens make us forget that we are free, that we are also light. If you feel that way, maybe it’s time to say “no” to something. Maybe it’s time to exercise your freedom.
Here’s something else I learned from backpacking: pack everything you need and pack only what you need.
Be purposeful about what you commit to, just as I was when packing for Iceland. Everything you add to your pack, you’ll have to carry—everywhere you go. Remind yourself that you are responsible for everything you commit to and that you are free to choose your commitments.
Backpack your burdens:
- Choose each item carefully, based on what you need and what you know you can carry;
- Leave the luxury items at home;
- If you’ve carried something for a while and realize you no longer need it, drop it at the next campsite.
Your commitments are only burdens if you feel they’ve been forced upon you. If you pack your burdens into a backpack and sling that thing on your back, suddenly your commitments become meaningful; they become manifestations of your freedom. Because you have chosen what to carry.
Springboard
Before you sleep tonight, take stock of your pack. What luxury item(s) can you leave at home tomorrow? What necessary item(s) have you neglected?