Invisible Effort, Real Weight
I don’t always know where the line is between pushing myself and honoring the fact that I’m already pushing harder than most.
Some days, the effort is obvious. Other days, it’s invisible. Either way, it’s real.
Moving through the world with extra weight—physical, mental, emotional—takes energy people don’t always see. But I’m not here to convince anyone of that. I’m here to live in it, name it, and keep showing up.
Beyond the Binary
There’s this false binary we get handed: either you rise above or you let it hold you back. But there’s a third option—you learn how to carry it, honestly, intentionally, without shame.
Not for applause. Not for pity. Just because this is the life you’ve been handed, and you’ve decided to live it on your own terms.
This Is All of Us
And if that sounds familiar—it’s because this isn’t just my story.
It’s all of ours, in some shape or form.
Because nearly everyone is carrying something heavy behind the scenes.
Invisible work. Quiet battles. Extra layers of effort.
The expectations. The comparisons. The pressure to keep up or stay silent.
No Pretending. No Glorifying. Just Naming.
I’m not here to pretend it’s easy. And I’m not here to glorify struggle, either.
I’m here to name what’s real—and to make space for the truth that we are all navigating something.
Some of us are still trying to make peace with the perfection in our heads—the version of how life should go, how we should feel, what we should be able to do. But that image is sharp and relentless. And reality is softer, messier, slower.
Living in that tension doesn’t make our effort any less valuable.
It just makes it more human.
Some Days You Push. Some Days You Pause.
Some days, you have to kick your own butt—call yourself in, hold yourself accountable, and rise to what’s next.
Other days? You need to step out of the race altogether.
Because truthfully, it shouldn’t be a race in the first place.
Your Standard, Your Strength
This isn’t about meeting someone else’s standard. It’s about trusting our own.
Not shrinking. Not explaining. Not overcompensating. Just standing here—fully in it—and calling that enough.
The Cost Is Real. And So Are We.
Sometimes people will miss what it costs.
But make no mistake—it costs for everyone.
Because we know the weight we carry.
We know the choices we make.
We know what it takes to keep showing up when it would be easier to disappear.
And that knowing? It’s ours. Quiet, steady, and real.
Grace. Accountability. Real Work.
This is what it means to hold space for grace and accountability.
To honor the struggle, and still keep going.
To stop chasing perfect.
And start living real.
And real takes a whole different kind of work.
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