The Weight We Carry

Instead of opening the session with accomplishments, awards, or job titles… we started with where we are struggling.

Not 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 you do? But ...
Who you are outside of the title. What are you carrying right now?

I opened with:
👉 Mother of five, including one child with severe autism who is nonverbal
👉 Learning that raising mini adults can feel riskier than the toddler years
👉 Difficulties navigating the caretaking phase with aging parents

Every panelist introduced themselves the same way.
Vulnerability and authenticity created the conditions for an honest conversation about 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.

The framework I offered:
👉 Recognize the load you are carrying
👉 Rally and find your Hype Squad
👉 Realign quickly when something isn't working
👉 Reset before burnout decides for you

I also shared two personal indicators that reveal when my own sustainability is wobbly:
🔎 When opening the mail is awkwardly annoying and overwhelming.
🔎 And a messy pantry gets me edgy.

Both are tied to earlier experiences with housing instability, financial upheaval, and food insecurity. Small things on the surface but deeply connected to old survival patterns and stress responses.

𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

Oh, and public transit germs should have entered the chat. There's an eye twitch that starts when I have to hold subway or public transit handrails.

Any pressure cooker moments you want to share?