When Freedom Starts to Feel Heavy

Independence Series 2 of 5

Independence sounds like the dream, until you’re the one holding everything up.

By Jerry Grundman

No one tells you that freedom can come with a kind of pressure you didn’t expect.

You finally get the independence you worked so hard for.

And suddenly you’re also the marketer, the producer, the strategist, the support desk, the bookkeeper, and the emotional backbone of the whole operation.

You’re not just wearing a lot of hats.

You’re the rack they all hang on.

And while people see the highlight reel:

“You’re your own boss.”

“You’ve got so much flexibility.”

“They’re lucky to work with you.”

They don’t see the quiet weight you carry every day just to keep things moving.

This isn’t a complaint. It’s a confession.

Because if you’re like me, you’re not looking for sympathy.

You’re just trying to be honest with yourself.

The dream didn’t lie.

But it didn’t tell the whole story either.

Freedom without support can start to feel like a burden.

Control without boundaries turns into exhaustion.

And passion, when pushed too hard for too long, can start to feel like pressure.

Maybe what we’re really after isn’t freedom. It’s peace.

It’s not that we want to give up the independence.

We just don’t want it to cost us our joy.

Our rest.

Our sense of self.

The truth is, being independent doesn’t mean you have to hold it all together.

You’re allowed to feel tired.

You’re allowed to need help.

You’re allowed to want a way forward that feels more sustainable.

Because strength doesn’t mean carrying it all.

Sometimes it just means pausing long enough to ask:

What if I didn’t have to?