Carry That Weight
“Boy, you’re gonna carry that weight
Carry that weight a long time…”
That line has always stayed with me.
Some of you might catch the Beatles reference.
Sometimes it feels like our problems — especially the repeating ones — just keep getting heavier. The longer they go on, the more weight they seem to carry. And eventually, that burden can become so consuming that it’s hard to see anything else… or feel anything else… besides the weight itself.
One of the teachings I’ve always loved from one of my favorite spiritual teachers, Ram Dass, is the idea of the mirror.
He spoke about how we move through life somewhat veiled — cloaked from our true nature. The burdens we carry can weigh us down so much that we can barely stand upright, let alone turn toward the mirror and courageously look at what’s reflected back.
Now, we all know the outer mirror.
We wake up, look at ourselves, make adjustments. Some of us put on makeup, comb our hair, choose our clothes carefully — all ways of tending to how we appear in the world.
But the mirror I’m talking about is different.
It’s the mirror of inner reflection.
And honestly? That mirror is often pretty dirty.
I laugh about this because the mirror in my own bathroom is… not exactly pristine. I don’t clean it nearly enough. There are fingerprints. Dust. Smudges. Even old dry-erase writing — which, by the way, is a great place to write affirmations and reminders. But still, the mirror gets cloudy.
Just like our ability to see inward.
That inner reflection often becomes marred by old stories, habits, judgments, and fatigue. And from my experience, truly cleaning that mirror takes three things:
Willingness.
Courage.
Compassion/Grace
Willingness comes first.
It’s the moment we admit there’s something deeper within us — something beyond the repeating patterns and the daily weight we carry. Even in the 12 Steps of AA, the journey begins with willingness.
Then comes courage.
Because when we look inward, we often meet things that are heavy: self-doubt, limiting beliefs, old behaviors, ways we may have hurt ourselves or others. Courage says, “I’m willing to see this — and I believe change is possible.”
But courage alone isn’t enough.
It must be tempered with compassion and grace.
When we open what some might call Pandora’s box — our inner state, our habits, our emotional patterns — it can feel overwhelming. Sometimes it seems easier to shoulder the familiar burden and keep walking than to stop, open it up, and tend to it.
Compassion reminds us:
I am human.
I have needs, emotions, and moments of imbalance.
And also:
I am more than all of that.
I am good enough. Remember that.
So how do we practice willingness, courage, and compassion in real life?
One simple and powerful tool is daily reflection — something echoed again in the 12 Steps. Taking a few moments at the end of the day (or the start of the next) to gently walk back through your day.
Notice where you showed up beautifully.
Notice where you might bring a little more grace next time.
Not to blame.
Not to shame.
Just to see clearly.
One question I find especially helpful is:
“If I were someone else, would I have liked interacting with me today?”
Then we apply courage… and compassion… and we remind ourselves that we truly are doing the best we can. And when we can do better, we honor that intention.
During these reflections, I often discover something important:
When I don’t show up at my best, it’s usually because my inner resources are depleted.
And when those resources are low, the weight we carry feels even heavier.
So that’s the invitation this week:
How clean is your mirror?
Are you willing to look inward?
Do you have the courage and compassion to do so?
And if not — that’s okay.
Maybe the real question is:
Where are your inner resources being drained?
My friends, I’d love to hear from you.
What depletes you?
And what makes you feel alive, resourced, and ready — willing, courageous, and compassionate enough — to look inward and bring that inner beauty out into the world?
I’ll leave you once again with a poem / song I’m working on — one that feels especially meaningful to me right now.
Many blessings and love,
Danny
I See You from the upcoming Album: Birthright
I see you in all of your pain
I see you, when you are hiding in shame
I see you, as more than your name
The light in your eyes I recognize
I see you, when you are at your best
I see you, when your body is at rest
I see you, as more than your name
The light in your eyes I recognize
Verse 1
When you’re down and you’re low and you can’t feel your pain
When you’re body is weak and you looking for blame
With nothing to gain you wanna give up the fight
There aint any way you can hide your light
When you’re racing and chasing and running blind
When it feels like you are losing your mind
It aint just you I feel that way too
There aint anyway you can hide your light
Chorus
I See You, I See You, I See You
Bridge - Consciousness Talking with Hope
Stay with me
I’ll make sure you are free
I’ll carry the weight
There aint anyway you can hide your light
I long to play
I’ll be here night and day
I’ll carry the weight
There aint anyway you can hide your light
I See You, I See You, I See You
Final Verse - All the things you are
Oh...... I see you
In all of your grace
In all of your ways
In you I have faith
In all of the light that shines from you
I long for you to know.....
How much your light shines
The brightness you define
Your strength and your might
In you I delight
There aint anyway you can hide your light
I See You, I See You, I See You
