The Backpack I Never Packed

Some days, it feels like I’m carrying around this invisible backpack. It is stuffed full of everyone’s expectations and mine. Be successful. Be kind. Smile. Don’t be too loud. Don’t take up too much space. I never actually agreed to carry all that. But here I am, carrying it around like it's a part of me. Lately, I’ve been wondering what if I just put it down? What if I stopped trying to be the perfectly packaged version of good and started being real? I don’t have the whole answer yet. But I think it begins with being honest with myself, with others, and with the voice in my head. Maybe I don't need to be more. Maybe I just need to be me.

• Expectations
• Weight