Living Light Like James Bond

In the most recent James Bond movie, entitled, "Quantum of Solace," I made a startling discovery. It was during the scene where he picks an apartment lock in search of some hidden information. The scene itself may not be memorable but I guess I see things in the oddest of places. It was at that moment where he takes a set of car keys off the table that it hit me. Where is James Bond's wallet?

It's probably not what the producers and writers intended, but that's where my mind went. While Bond is off saving the world, I'm thinking about the lack of a wallet bulge in his back pocket. Yes, you know the one. Most men carry wallets or some form of a wallet. Typically, we add it to our spare back pockets. Whenever money or a license is in order, we just whip it out. As a result, our favorite pair of jeans earns an unsightly wear on the pocket.

To my surprise, Mr. Bond seemed immune to the pains of carrying such a necessity. Ok, well if he's not carrying a wallet on his caboose than where would he keep it? That question alone only perpetuated further inquiries. The more I looked, the more questions I had. The most obvious of questions is about the location of his cellphone, keys, lock pick, and gun. Most of us leave the gun and lock pick at home, but we are prone to weigh our pants down with other utility items. There are times when I feel very much like Batman. I'm sure if someone could develop a laptop carrying case for the belt, I'd have that too.

My concern is that unlike 007 we have developed a habit of needing too much stuff. In this case, the word "stuff" not only describes items we carry on our bodies but also the stuff we keep at home. To take it a step further, what about the emotional "stuff" we acquire over the years and refuse to drop?

There is a sense of freedom and 'stress-less-ness' when we learn to let go of the extra utilities in our lives. While it may seem unnecessary, learn to relax and release. Specifically, learn to disengage from the things in our lives and travel light.

To begin, take a look at your key chain. Are all those keys, miniature swipe cards, and antibacterial spray really necessary? Instead of looking like a janitor with a key for everything, seek to carry only those items you use every day.

Another example is to look at your wallet or purse. Similar to the key chain, remove everything in your wallet that you do not use daily. Everything else either gets thrown away or stored for later use. If you're really lucky, you won't even need a wallet because a money clip may suffice.

In our lives, seek to remove the dead weight that keeps us down. From an emotional stance, the constant weight of stress can affect our overall health and vitality. For the physical world, a clean and organized space makes life much easier to live. If it's good enough for Bond, it ought to be good enough for us.

Until next time...