There are things we carry that we were never meant to hold onto for as long as we have.
A relationship that ended but still lives in our head.
A conversation we replay.
A decision we wish we could redo.
Words we said… or didn’t say.
And sometimes the heaviest weight isn’t what someone else did to us — it’s what we haven’t forgiven ourselves for.
We hold it. We carry it. We drag it into new seasons.
And eventually… it starts holding us back from the places we’re trying to grow and go.
There’s an old story about two monks traveling together. One older and one younger. They came to a river where a woman was struggling to cross. One monk picked her up, carried her across, set her down on the other side, and continued walking.
Hours later, the younger monk finally spoke:
“Why did you carry that woman? We’re not supposed to do that.”
The older monk replied,
“I put her down a long time ago. You’re the one still carrying her.”
How many of us are doing the same thing?
Last week at our Winning Edge Men’s Retreat, we did something we call a Burden Burn.
Each man wrote down something he had been carrying for far too long — regret, shame, old narratives, past decisions, unforgiveness, pressure, expectations, fear.
Things that once shaped us… but no longer serve us.
One by one, those pieces of paper hit the fire.
And something powerful happened.
Men stood taller. Breathing slowed. Eyes cleared.
Not because the past disappeared — but because they finally put it down.
They left that circle lighter. More connected. More free.
Here’s the truth:
What no longer serves you should not lead you!
YOUR PURSUIT OF GREATNESS
1 | Identify What You’re Still Carrying
You can’t burn what you won’t name.
Is it regret? Shame? A broken relationship? A decision you would redo?
Clarity is the first step toward freedom. Be honest about the weight you’re dragging forward.
2 | Decide What No Longer Serves You
Just because it shaped you doesn’t mean it should define you.
Some experiences were lessons — not life sentences.
Growth requires the courage to say, “That helped me then… but it doesn’t belong in my future.”
3 | Put It Down — For Real
Letting go isn’t symbolic. It’s intentional.
Don’t carry something mentally that you’ve already outgrown spiritually.
Release it. Forgive yourself. Forgive others.
And stop picking back up what you already decided to burn.
At some point this week, I want to challenge you — and give you permission — to have your own burden burn.
Write it down. Be honest. Be specific.
Then, safely and intentionally burn it.
Not as a performance. As a decision.
A decision that says:
“This stops here.”
“This doesn’t go with me anymore.”
“This is not who I’m becoming.”
Freedom doesn’t come from holding on tighter. It comes from finally letting go.
Unpack it. Burn it. Leave it!
