You know that inspirational picture of an iceberg that shows the top part that you see above water and then the massive part that you can't usually see underwater? Well, that's a real thing. I remember my life science teacher had it hanging on the wall when I was in seventh grade. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look up "inspirational iceberg picture" in Google and you'll understand. I could post it here, but I'm feeling lazy.
Ok, now you know what I'm talking about because you looked up the picture. Well, people are just like icebergs. The surface that most people see is only a tiny fraction of the entire iceberg. You have no idea how big that iceberg actually is when you see it's little peak floating along in the water. You have no idea how big a person's personality and thoughts and emotions are just by looking at them.
I was driving around town with a friend I hadn't seen in about a month and we were just catching up, and I realized that I didn't know him as well as I thought I did. In those few hours, I kept learning new things about him and realizing quirks about his personality that had never occurred to me before. I couldn't believe how little I actually knew about this person I called a "friend".
I also realized that I am probably an enigma to some people, even my friends and family. They might not realize that I'm an enigma, but I am. I think that of all the thoughts and feelings that go through my head on a daily basis, I express maybe 15% of them to others. I don't realize how little I share because, well, they're my thoughts and feelings and I recognize them silently. But then I start talking about someone or something and I come to the realization that I've kept a lot of those thoughts inside.
People are so complex, it's crazy. There's so much depth in every living soul and that's what gives us so much value. We are God's children so of course we are deep. One of my favorite song lyrics says "there's a universe inside of you" and I need to try to remember that when I'm talking to people. There's so much to know about a person and everyone deserves to feel like they are worth learning about. I'm going to try to express my feelings and emotions a little more, maybe bump it up to 20% or something crazy like that.
Anyway, I'm curious: what percentage of all the thoughts and feelings that run through your head do you think you actually express?
Love this introspective post! One of my good friends is going through some heavy stuff right now. It's hard to not be able to take away her trials, but it's so amazing to watch her strengths and talents grow from what she's facing. It made me reflect on the concept of our spirits and the fact that there are qualities within us that we probably can't even comprehend! I probably express about the same amount you mentioned, 15%. But I know it's important to be more open because it's the best way to connect with and help others. Thanks for your inspiring message!
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