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THE RULE 

In 1999, a top business executive in corporate America made a decision.

It was not a decision that he needed for the advancement of his professional career, or one that promoted, demoted, hired, or fired someone.  It didn’t have to do with the paperwork nestled on his desk or his staff who walked the hallways.  I’m not exactly sure where he was when it happened or what he was doing.  He could have been looking at the view outside his office window, or maybe he was at home when it all fell into place. The decision had everything to do with an immediate, unplanned change that completely started his life over.

He crossed what he called a “proverbial line in the sand.”  In an instant, after years of hard work getting to this executive level, he gave up all his possessions, including his career.  He has shared, in writing, how he believed that every personal possession was responsible for sucking up a piece of his soul; and how the only way to regain his soul was to relinquish everything and reclaim himself.

Most of his possessions he gave away.  A few favorite things were given to friends with the caveat that if he ever needed to borrow them back, he could.

What he could fit in his backpack was all that he kept.  He traveled to destinations near and far, places like Cambodia and Vietnam where he drove a motorbike through the lands, or acted as a guide to others who (probably with a lot of money to spend) wanted a unique experience not offered by all the regular travel bureaus.

He came up with The 75 Item Rule.  A friend of mine printed the rule for me and as I write this blog I can’t help but glance over at the rules that conveniently sit on my desk, because somewhere deep inside I wonder if I can apply any of these to my own life.  After all, there is a lot of clutter, a lot of things, a lot of stuff, in my life.  Once you get to a certain level of things you forget what is underneath.  You forget who you really are and that’s what I never want to happen to me.

The 75 Item Rule is probably the most straight forward rule I’ve ever seen.  It sounds big because of the number “75” but don’t let that fool you.  To the simple question “what on earth is the 75 Item Rule?” comes a very contrite answer.

A person should have no more than 75 items.

75 items?  Does that include my daughter’s butterfly hairclip I borrowed this morning to pull my hair back, or these dirty socks I’ve been wearing all day?  Surely those are not part of the 75 items?

Well, yes they are.  75 items are 75 items.  So, quickly, I again wonder,  can I live on 75 items?  If all of my four children were on their own, and I didn’t have to take care of them, could I narrow my life down to just 75 items; and if so, what would they be?

Let’s start with how the 75 Item Rule can be accomplished.  It starts with ten actions:

1. Give away or sell everything, including cars, homes, furniture.
2. Give clothing and other stuff to charity, except what can fit into a backpack
3. Give items you may need to use temporarily in the future to friends and family
4. Pick an exotic destination for a trip
5. Buy a non-refundable airline ticket, a backpack, and any transportation passes
6. Don’t create an itinerary or make any other reservations
7. Find the locations of hostels
8. Quit your job
9. Throw away your watch and never wear one again
10. Pack your stuff into one backpack only and start your adventure

I almost nod yes and yell “Amen!” at these insane requests.  Think about it.  How freeing it would be to simply let everything go.  No more bills, no schedule, no upkeep, no restrictions.  Knowing that someone actually did this really piques my interest!

I took a glimpse at the website that chronicles this man’s journey.  There are hundreds of videos from his travels all over the world.  Little pins on google maps mark the exact locales he visited.  Occasionally a picture was taken at the top of a mountain or in a famous place holding a can of soda; an endorsement for which he was probably paid.  Along the way he made software products that he sold.  He started taking people on the adventures for a fee.  And so, he made what money he needed to sustain his 75 Item Rule and his happiness.

My backpack.  Hmm…some clean underwear.  A hairbrush.  Some money.  One change of clothes.   A toothbrush and paste.  A bar of soap.  A wash cloth.  A hair clip. Deodorant.  Some money.  Airline tickets.  Walking shoes.  Sandals.  A poncho.  Sunglasses.  Insect repellant.  Sunscreen.  A hat. Another change of clothes.  First aid items.  A phone.  A camera.  Some food. A journal. I don’t know.

No high heals.  No makeup.  No fancy dresses.  No earrings or jewelry.  No hairdryer or flat iron.  No candy.  No birthday cake.  No magazines.  No excuses.  No second guesses.

This all begs  the question, what do I really have that I absolutely need? 

Experiences have always taught me the most in my life.  That is why I love being a mother, why I strived to be a black belt, and why writing is so important to me.  Each is an experience that promotes my true self because I pack up all the clutter and fit only what I can in the backpack of my mind.  Then, I can focus on how I feel when engaged in these experiences.  It’s not what is in my life but how I live it.  It is inclusive of my strong bond with all four of my children and my incredible love for them, my karate mind-body-spirit connection, and the words I share with you in a few blogs a couple of times a week with the hopes that they will help you live a better life.

I’m not quite ready to give up everything and live by The 75 Item Rule; yet, I must admit, the experiences, not the possessions, are where the value of life dwells.

Karate=Open Hand

The word “karate” means open hand.  It refers to someone trained in karate who can defend himself without the use of weapons.  So, when you learn karate, although at some point you may incorporate weapons into your training, it is your hands that you use.  No weapons, no pepper spray, no fancy Teenage Mutant Ninja nunchuks.  Those types of things, in a sense, are all removed from the training.  You don’t need them.  The lack of these items, the open hand concept, is similar to living life without your possessions.  You can make do with what you have.

Open hands.  Just look down and open your hands.  They contain nothing but perhaps a roadmap of who you are.  On the underside they have lines that some people measure to see how long you might live.  On the other side, children’s hands are still pudgy and dimpled at the mark of the knuckle; adults have hands that show combat or fighting scars; and some like mine signal the passing of years that can’t be camouflaged with nail polish.  No matter how your hands look, they are the outward expressions of  love, wisdom, encouragement, harmony, peace, friendship and so much more.  The open hand needs nothing in it to reflect all of these truths.

The martial artist uses his hands over and over, whether learning to block a strike; punching in a fight or against a bag; manipulating someone’s grab in order to escape; or raising his hands  in a peaceful verbal de-escalation situation.  Hands control everything, even with nothing in them.

My 75 Item Rules

I’m willing to use my hands to defend myself, but I’m not apt to get rid of everything I have in my life and cram the rest into a backpack to travel the world.  There are some changes that I can make that would fall in line with the concept of  The 75 Item Rule, though, but utilizing a much different criteria.

Why 75 things?  Why not the five easiest things, or the ten quickest things, or the top twenty-five things that we should be doing, trying, or feeling?  Because that is not enough.  Maybe we should not limit ourselves so much.  What about making 75 the rule of thumb?

1. Spend 75 minutes a week complimenting others, volunteering, or visiting someone
2. Write 75 words in a thank-you note and send it on its way
3. Walk 75 steps instead of being lazy
4. Listen to 75 different songs in a month
5. Meet 75 new people in a year
6. Identify 75 things that you believe in
7. Practice 75 minutes of meditation, martial arts, or yoga
8. Post 75 positive messages over the course of a year on your social media sites
9. Give 75 cents a few times over to the homeless person on the side of the road
10. Say 75 times “I love You” to the people of your choice

Back to the Basics

The 75 Item Rule  is signed by “Livio” and is dated April, 2003.  He ended his note by saying:

If and when you return from your first adventure you will find that you need very little, can work at just about any job that doesn’t tax your creativity, have a long list of new life-long friends, will enjoy your days and continue on a haphazard path that is joyful and fulfilling.

My life is my adventure. While I am in awe of anyone who can follow the ten steps to achieve The 75 Item Rule, I know my limitations.  I’m not ready to relinquish everything in order to reclaim what I may be lacking.

My one and only rule.  Do the 75 things that I rank as the most important in my life, whatever they may be, and continue on a path that is joyful and fulfilling.

I hope you do the same.

xoxo

Andrea

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The Martial Arts Woman book is now available. Purchase through my e-commerce store: http://themartialartswoman.storenvy.com. or on Amazon:  https://goo.gl/5gMzT6

This book shares the stories and insights of more than twenty-five women in the martial arts, and how they apply martial arts to their lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andrea F. Harkins is a writer, motivator, life coach, martial artist, and public speaker. She was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame in July, 2017. Her book, The Martial Arts Woman, is now available at themartialartswoman.storenvy.com.