In most companies, no one wants to be the last line of defense. What if it goes wrong and then all fingers point at you? That’s a heavy future to carry, which is why, usually, it goes to the CEO—and comes with the highest pay. As a result, everyone else can stay higher up the blame-chain. Out of the blast radius.
Meanwhile, when I go to bed at night, I look forward to my duvet. Even in summer, unless it’s excruciatingly hot, I’ll use the whole blanket, not just its cover. Isn’t it magical when a thick layer of bedding tucks you right into dreamland? It’s called a “comforter” for a reason—and yet, the reason it’s comfortable is that it’s heavy.
Nobody likes to lug a big bag of groceries back to their house, but what else does weight do except slow us down? Perhaps, just like at night in our beds, it grounds us. Responsibility is not the same as stress. You can meet one without being ridden by the other. But an ideal to live up to does force us to plant our feet firmly on the ground.
Instead of belaboring the pressure of a challenge, we can let gravity gently push us into the right place—a place where we belong, where we can contribute, and where our sacrifices hold meaning because they happen in service of others.
Weight is not just heavy. It is grounding. Don’t fall into the sky. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you’ll always sleep peacefully under a blanket of knowing you did your best.
