What was your favourite piece of advice that Crozier gave, and why did it resonate with you?
We have a tendency to carry our experiences with us, both the wonderful and the tragic. This 'baggage' if you will, often impedes us from moving forward and it weighs us down. Our "leather satchels" and "velvet bags" are so stuffed with stuff: memories, hurts, thoughts etc. that we have no room for anything else.
Crozier gives her reader a lot of advice for 'packing' for the future. She advises us to take our childhood dreams, skills we have yet to use, thick socks; she also advises that we take only what we need. Crozier cautions us to "always travel lighter / than the heart." She instructs us to let go and leave behind all that is unprofitable and to not let burdens, material things, and bad memories weigh us down.
Moreover, she instructs us to LEAVE ROOM to feel and to experience, to learn and to grow:
"In you bag leave room for sadness / leave room for another language
This is my favourite piece of advice.
Crozier tells her reader to leave room for emotion. She reassures us that it is ok to feel sad. Our culture is quick to avoid sadness and grief. We refuse to treat it as a natural part of life, and when we experience it we want to be rid of it as quickly as possible. But sadness and all our emotions are natural part of life and we have to deal with them to be truly healthy. Perhaps, Crozier is suggesting that if we leave room for sadness and other emotions, they will not weigh so heavily when they come.
Crozier also instructs us to leave room to learn. She advises that we be open to new experiences and opportunities. We can always learn something new, and study more, deepening and widening our knowledge. We should never think we know enough or know everything. It is best to stay humble and stay inquisitive to get the most out of the future and life.
This piece of advice resonates with me the most because I find that paying full attention to my emotions and reflecting on what made me feel restless or at peace on a given day helps me to discern what to do. Also, I endeavor to be always open to new opportunities and to remain intellectually curious so I can get the most out of life. That is why I 'leave room'.
Credits:
Created with images by Unsplash - "backpack child walking child" • hodgesce13 - "watch watches luxury" • fdecomite - "Caustic UFO" • manolofranco - "bookshop library books" • Unsplash - "typewriter typing retro"