In the animal kingdom, there are exceptional feats of strength.
Tigers can carry something that weighs 550 kilograms (kg) — or twice its own bodyweight — 10 feet up a tree.
Eagles can lift something four times its own bodyweight during flight.
Gorillas can lift an object that weighs 2,000kg, which is more than 10 times its own bodyweight.
Some animals can carry a far heavier burden:
Leafcutter ants can lift and carry 50 times its own bodyweight — in its jaws
Rhinoceros beetles can lift 850 times its own bodyweight
Dung beetles — the strongest animal on earth — can lift 1,141 times its own bodyweight
But which animal can carry the most weight?
We do.
WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKPACK?
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
-William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 2
Humans may not be able to lift weights like a dung beetle, but the burden, stress and anxiety that we can carry in our mind is virtually unlimited.
Furniture. Cars. Homes. Jobs. Financial obligations. Relationships.
It all piles up.
Can you feel the weight?
It doesn’t end there.
Our worries, fears and insecurities also take an insurmountable toll on our minds and bodies.
Can you feel the weight increase?
The burden gets heavier and heavier, and it lives on top of us rent-free.
What’s in your backpack?
TAKE A LOAD OFF
An old, Zen master once walked into town. On his shoulder, he carried a bindle.
Someone approached the master and asked: “What does it mean to live a life of Zen?”
Without saying a word, the master took the bindle off his shoulder and set it down.
The person then asked: “So what does it mean to live without Zen?”
In response, the master picks up the bindle, throws it over his shoulder, and continues walking through town.
We are not dung beetles. We were not built for superhuman strength.
Similarly, we should view Atlas’ eternal sentence as a cautionary tale:
Don’t carry the weight of the world. That’s not your job.
How do we do that?
Awareness
Acceptance
Action
Begin again
First, notice the burden that you carry.
What’s in your backpack? How heavy does it feel? How long has it been there?
Then, accept your reality. Know that you are not alone in this struggle; we all have a cross to bear.
Next, decide to do something about it:
Meditate
Journal
Move your body
Consult a therapist or friend
Commit to a deep cleansing of your home and life (perhaps inspired by Marie Kondo or Margareta Magnusson)
Finally, go back to step one. Start over.
Notice the weight on your shoulders.
How does the backpack feel now?
Did you lighten the load?