Reflection Chapter:The Unseen Part of the Iceberg

Author's note: I wrote this blog several months ago. I like to see my blog as my progression tracker. Since I'm talking about pain here, I think it's important to say that this doesn't fully reflect how I feel now, but the concept still applies . Enjoy reading.

Physical pain is annoying. A headache, a muscle ache, a bruise. They hurt for a while, then fade.

Emotional pain is different. It lingers. It changes shape. It hides in the background like a program you forgot to close, waiting quietly until something triggers it again: a memory, a person, a song, a movie, a moment in the present.

My pain still runs quietly in the background. Every now and then, it wakes up and whispers, "I'm still here," and the feeling returns. Not as strong as before, but familiar.

Over time, I've learned not to let it take over. I can't always silence it, but I can choose how to respond. Bottling it up only makes it explode later. Letting it pass through me, even if it hurts, gives it less power.

The pain I feel comes from anger, injustice, sadness, disappointment, frustration. These emotions are valid, but they're not really in my control. They're tied to people and moments I can't change.

So instead of fighting the storm, I choose peace, or at least to act peacefully. That doesn't mean I'm at peace inside. It means I'm learning to live with it for now, until I can fully let go. One hammer swing on the anvil at a time, forging something I can be proud of.

The weight of this pain, even if it's not in my control, feels like the hidden part of an iceberg.

We all carry our own weight. Everyone has their demons, their past, their baggage. What we see in others is often only a fraction of who they are and what they feel. The rest stays hidden deep under the surface, shaped by pain, memories, and quiet struggles no one else can see. That is why we should try to be kind. We never really know what someone is going through.

What I'm trying to explain is that people carry pain. Sometimes all we see is a smile and a happy face, while that person might be carrying a lot more. That's why I used the iceberg as a metaphor: we only see a fraction of someone; the rest stays hidden under the surface.