Inside out

I participated in an activity today that made real the baggage we carry around inside of us. The purpose of the exercise was to give participants a tangible example of the weight (expressed as rocks and bean bags) of the aspects of our lives that may go unseen and unspoken at work but are still present.

It’s an important reminder. Everyone we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about. We are icebergs and what is floating above the surface is only a glimpse at what lies beneath.

What resonated most for me, though, was my answer to the question of what I keep hidden that weighs on me. Before I started my recovery, the backpack would have been unable to contain that weight. As I thought about it today, I realized that the heaviest weight I had ever carried is gone. In its place is a feather.

This experience was powerful for me because it provided a unique and powerful perspective on the energy and peace I have gained since that weight was removed. In its place is a lightness I didn’t know was possible.

It is liberating.