Carrying Other People's Backpacks
By Nicole Arthur
A lot of people are carrying backpacks that were never really theirs to hold.
Other people's expectations. Approval. Avoiding conflict. Fear of feedback. Trying to keep everyone happy. Trying to do well by society's definition of success.
After a while, it becomes exhausting. Not because people are weak, but because they are spending so much energy trying to manage things outside their control.
I think this is why so many people end up tied up in knots. They stop asking "What matters to me?" and start organising their lives around avoiding disappointment, criticism, or disapproval.
The shift is not about caring less. It is about putting down what is not yours to carry.
Keeping hold of:
- your values
- your choices
- your next step
And letting the rest belong to the people it actually belongs to.
Some of the heaviest things we carry are invisible.