What are the TOP THREE TOOLS in your life’s GO-BAG...?

“If the wildfires get any closer, we may have to evacuate—“

My dear friend in California explained the searing and unsettling threat that the recent fires had eminently made to her home during our conversation yesterday.

“I should pack a bag in case I need to grab it and go in an instant.”

Even though I sat 3,000 miles away on the other end of the phone, her urgency of purpose, her focus of intent, and her alacrity of procedure sounded the alarm inside of my own mind. Physical wildfire may not have been the most prevalent threat to me at that moment, but the precariousness of life—its persistent danger, instability, catastrophe—had always provided both perpetual and potential pitfalls. I couldn’t help but wonder in that moment:

What top PHYSICAL, MENTAL, and EMOTIONAL ESSENTIALS had I packed in my life’s Go-Bag...??

The inextricable link between our bodies, our minds, our spirits, offers all of us variable and dynamic topographical journeys along this human experience. We carry habits of behavior, ideological beliefs, and intuitive understanding with us every day of our adventure—and the most efficient, balanced and perfectly ergonomic metaphorical Go-Bags come equipped with custom made pockets for each component. Yet, so often we allow the excess baggage of past limitations or future negative expectations to unconsciously accrue in what was meant to be our “essentials-only” survival kit. So often, we allow insidious instruments of fear, shame, unworthiness, and doubt to bog us down with weighty, untenable bulk.

The conversation with my friend inspired me to root-through and pair-down what I had stuffed full and heavily slung over my shoulder to carry all over creation. Which of the many collected apparati were the most important for me to bring, the most useful for my journey...?

Along this intricately woven mind-body-soul adventure, what piece of knowledge was the ONE THING that I had to keep with me for ultimate MENTAL HEALTH?

THOUGHTS ARE THINGS.

The understanding that we are what we think in this very moment, and we become what we consistently think about, henceforth, was fundamental fodder for my mental fitness. We listen, viscerally, to the voice in our head. We obey, profoundly, the chronic diatribe within our own mind. Not only do our thoughts transcend the mere grey cells of our brain matter, but, they actually dictate HOW WE FEEL emotionally and physically; they dictate WHAT WE DO and do not do. They are powerful forces. They must be mindfully sifted, heart-fully sorted, and chosen wisely.

In looking over the tools that I had accrued to achieve PEAK PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE, I asked myself, what was the ONE THING that I had to keep with me to maintain a HEALTHY BODY?

BEING PRESENT is the KEY to WELLNESS.

Comprehending the notion that our bodies are living, breathing, brilliantly balancing organisms of well-being was crucial. If left to their own device without external stressors, each cell of our bodies would function effortlessly, communicate seamlessly, and regenerate continuously. When we release  resistance—such as the torment of our past or the worry over our future—and get fully present in the NOW, we eliminate stress. We allow our bodies to naturally gravitate toward their homeostasis of well-being. For, the magical capabilities of the human body have yet to be comprehensively calibrated, calculated or categorized by science. There exists an infinite possibility of genius within each of our cells; a force beyond the fathomable.

Among all of the tools to deal with how we feel , what was the ONE THING that I had to keep with me in order to maintain EMOTIONAL SECURITY?

EMOTIONS ARE OUR GPS NAVIGATION.

Recognizing that our emotions perfectly communicate to us the relationship between who we truly are, and what we say and do has been critical. They depict—with absolute accuracy—where we presently stand along each plot point on the route to where we sincerely want to go; the route to what we really, really want. Negative emotion is an amazing indicator that what we have been saying or doing opposes who we are at our core. Just as positive emotion tends to be directly proportional to the alignment of what we say, do and who we are at our core. Emotions are the consummate communication—the insanely explicit guidance system—between our higher self and our human self.

By repacking my Go-bag, I was reminded that in order to fully experience life’s adventure—to be ready, totally equipped, and thoroughly prepared to escape the fickle fire of circumstance and thrive whether peak or valley—we MUST keep the BEST MENTAL, PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL TOOLS with us at all times. It is vital to our health and safety to clean out the baggage we have carried around with us each and every day. I challenge you to sit down and really answer the question this question for yourself, and share what you discovered in the comments below:

What are the top three things that YOU must pack in life’s Go-Bag...?