Yesterday, I was looking for an image of balance and found a scale filled with apples.
At first glance, it was exactly what I wanted, a visual metaphor for balance.
But then I looked a little closer and started thinking about the apples themselves.
They have a weight which causes the scale to tip.
Just like the weights we carry in our life.
Work.
Family.
Health.
Money.
Even joy, growth, and celebration have weight.
Weight vs. Burden
This morning, I searched for the difference between weight and burden.
Weight is something physical. Measurable. Tangible. It’s pounds or pressure.
Burden is something felt. Emotional. Mental. The strain that shows up in our body and thoughts.
But in our everyday lives, the two blur.
Cooking dinner is a measurable, tangible weight.
A predictable task with positive impact.
Yet, when layered with exhaustion, lack of support, or resentment… it becomes a burden.
My Perspective
We can think of our wellbeing as a scale.
With eight apples stacked across both sides.
One for each wellbeing dimension:
Physical, emotional, social, financial, occupational, environmental, spiritual, and intellectual.
Some weeks, our emotional apple might feel heavier.
Other times, the financial one takes over.
And sometimes, even the joyful apples, like travel or achievement, add more weight than expected.
Balance isn’t about having equal apples.
It’s about noticing what’s tipping the scale.
Not all weight is bad.
But too much, even of a good thing, can become a burden.
Your Turn
What areas of your life feel heavy right now?
Which weights are grounding and which feel like burdens?
How might you redistribute, release, or simply acknowledge the apples on your scale?