We all carry some sort of burden. It’s the nature of being human. Things happen, it hurts us, and even though we try to let things go, sometimes we carry them around with us. For days, sometimes for months, and sadly, maybe even for years.
The baggage could be heavy or light. Imagine how quickly you’d get dragged down if you were carrying around a backpack full of bricks. Sounds exhausting. Yet sometimes that’s what we do.
But even if it’s a lighter load, when you carry it around for long enough – hour after hour, day after day – eventually that begins to weigh you down as well.
Yesterday I had a conversation with a friend who suggested that it’s time to start speaking my mind more. And she was right. It’s not that I’m timid or fearful – hardly! But most of the time I don’t want to step on someone else’s toes, hurt their feelings, or get into a debate, because I don’t want people to be upset with me. And like most of my fellow human beings, I want to be liked. So I swallow my feelings and smooth things over. I pay the price. Others are happy with the outcome of the discussion, debate, or concern, because I’ve held back my thoughts like a good little girl who should be seen and not heard. Except that’s not who I am. Not one bit of that is the real me.
After years of people pleasing, those choices are beginning to weigh to heavily on me. So I’m taking my friend’s advise and speaking my mind. Of course I will do my best to do so respectfully, but I’m not keeping quiet any longer.
I’m laying down my burden.
How about you? What burden have you been carrying around for longer than you should have?
Lay it down.
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