M-M-M | Lighten Your Load!

One Reflection, One Refraction, One Ripple. Clarity To-Go.

January 12, 2026

REFLECTION

I forgot my ruck vest on a recent hike at Radnor Lake. I almost skipped the hike altogether.

I’m glad I didn’t.

Without the extra weight, the hike felt different. Not easier exactly. Just cleaner. More fluid. Less strain with each step.

It reminded me of something we often miss: Not all weight is bad; some weight is chosen intentionally to build strength. But weight that serves training becomes drag when carried into performance.

The same is true beyond the trail.

We carry expectations, unresolved decisions, outdated assumptions, and quiet obligations long after they stop helping. Over time, that excess load makes even meaningful work feel heavier than it needs to be.

Effort isn’t always the problem. Unnecessary weight often is.

Progress doesn’t always require more discipline. Sometimes it begins with discernment. Knowing what no longer needs to come along.

REFRACTION

“Yesterday’s burdens need not be carried today.”

RIPPLE

This week, consider the weight you’re carrying.

What feels heavier than it needs to?

What obligation, worry, or assumption is adding load without adding value?

What weight doesn’t need to come with you on this week’s hike through life?

You don’t necessarily move faster or farther by pushing harder. You almost always move faster and farther by reducing drag.

Set something down. Notice how your path changes.