Every one of us has a backpack we carry. This backpack is with us wherever we go; whichever road we choose. How far we move down our road depends on the weight of our backpack. In this backpack are rocks. These rocks are formed and carried as words. Words have weight. We have the choice to carry these words or not. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” We choose to listen to words from all people, just like when we pick up a rock and inspect it. Often we feel we have to carry these words no matter what because of who says it. This is a choice. If the words have value we should carry these rocks. They give us balance on life’s journey. We need them for support and to rely on in our darkest moments. But too many of the rocks that we choose to carry weigh us down and slow us, often paralyze us from moving forward in our journey. These are rocks not worthy of carrying and yet we often carry these rocks of pain that people have given to us, and we accept them knowing how much they hurt us and compromise our movement along life’s path. Often the weight of these words, these rocks, is unbearable and it begins to crush us. When we find the courage to find our strength and take these rocks out of our backpack, look at them, analyze them and put them down on the road, we move a little easier down our road. Our backpack, as we live our life is a constant test of how much unnecessary weight is released and how many rocks we should carry for balance. Rocks that we hope to carry may be rocks that say urge us to be at peace, to be kind, to simplify our life. These rocks are worthy and are amazing in that they have weight, but can also give us strength and direction. We must make our own individual choices, listen to our inner voice, and shed the unnecessary weight so we can achieve our individual destinies.