self care: What You Release Makes You Rise — So What’s Holding You Down?

A Leadership Nudge for Anyone Carrying Too Much By Lloyd Munyaviri — L2M Coaching

We often imagine “strength” as the ability to hold everything together. To stand tall, stay composed, stay productive, stay present no matter what is happening internally.

But the truth is far more human, and far more important:

Most people don’t fall apart because they feel too much.

They fall apart because they carry too much alone. In my coaching work with leaders, teams, parents, teens and professionals I meet so many capable, compassionate individuals who aren’t struggling because they’re weak. They’re struggling because their hands, minds, and hearts are already full. And yet, they continue to add more. Life doesn’t just challenge us with responsibilities; it challenges us with emotional “balloons.”Balloons that look light… but weigh down our mind, our confidence and our ability to lead.

Let’s talk about them.

The Invisible Balloons We Carry

Every one of us carries balloons that don’t float they drag.

Balloons like:

• The pressure to always be strong

• Quiet shame about not having life figured out

• The fear of letting other people down

• The habit of judging ourselves far more harshly than anyone else ever would

• The weight of past decisions we can’t go back and change

• The instinct to fix everything for everyone

• The belief that asking for support is a sign of failure

• The urge to outrun burnout rather than acknowledge it

• The guilt of choosing ourselves

• The exhaustion of pretending we’re fine

These balloons may be invisible, but the effect is real:

They drain presence.

They suffocate creativity.They restrict joy.They erode our inner leadership.

And they pile up without us even noticing.

Letting Go Is Not Weakness — It Is Leadership

Real leadership does not begin with more strategy, more skills or more productivity tools. It begins with emotional clarity with knowing what you are carrying, what is yours to carry and what you must finally put down. Letting go is not resignation. It is not defeat. It is not avoidance.

Letting go is an act of strength, courage, and self-respect.

It is the decision to lead your life from a place of clarity rather than clutter, from peace rather than pressure. And most importantly:

Letting go makes space for rising.

When you clear emotional weight, you create room for creativity, purpose, healthy relationships and genuine presence.

Your Leadership Nudge

Choose one balloon to release. Not all. Just one.

Give yourself permission to:

• Let go of perfection

• Let go of rescuing everyone

• Let go of proving your worth

• Let go of the fear of not being enough

• Let go of replaying old moments

• Let go of the pressure to carry everything alone

Because when you remove even one weight, you rise a little higher. Your mind becomes clearer. Your energy becomes lighter.Your perspective widens.Your leadership strengthens from the inside out.

Lead With Your Life — Not Your Load

Your wellbeing matters.Your mental space matters.Your presence matters.

You deserve a life that isn’t defined by pressure, but by purpose. You deserve clarity, calm, and a sense of internal leadership that empowers you to show up fully in the world.

So today and this week:

Let go of what drains you.

Hold on to what grows you.Lead with your life not your load.

If This Resonates… I’m Here to Support You

If you’re navigating emotional weight, leadership pressure, or a season of transition, you don’t have to walk it alone.

Explore coaching sessions at L2MCoaching.com, or reach out for a discovery call and work together to create clarity, restore focus and build the inner leadership that helps you rise.