I recently cut my hair much shorter than it’s ever been cut. Although I keep touching the back of my head and looking at it, I’m happy I went ahead and did it. It is truly like a burden lifted from my shoulders. Less hair to wash and style! And apparently I’ve lifted another burden that I didn’t even know about–looking older and dated! (I have decided to view the “you look younger” comments through the grateful lens as opposed to the “how bad did I look before?” lens!). So what does my new haircut have to do with anything?
What burdens are you carrying that you need to push off your shoulders? It could be one you know about and it could be one that does not present itself as a burden. With my hair, I knew I wanted to change it up but I saw it as a minor necessity of my life, not a burden. It was not until I made this radical change, took the plunge, that I realized that my hair was weighing me down. I was just sick of it, sick of washing it, styling it, spending time on it, even looking at it!
Is there something weighing on you? Something you are carrying around that takes your energy and makes you tired, sad, or angry? Or someone? I encourage you to spend time thinking about what or who it is, what about it or the person bothers you, and whether it is something you can change. If it is something you can change, make a plan to change it. That process of planning the elimination of the burden is a big step in the right direction and will energize you for the next step. If it is not something you can change, there may still be a way to lift this burden and it lies in how you view and approach this burden in your life. Perhaps the lifting applies to your attitude about it. In either event, take that first step today. You may just feel that lightening of the load.
