EVERYTHING IS A LOT BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IM LOSING

Wale came right on time with his everything is a lot album. It’s wild how an artist can tell your story without ever knowing you. Listening to this album felt like someone finally put language to what I couldn’t explain the weight of carrying a full life while still trying to be present inside of it. This was perfect time for a season where my life has been shifting fast but I have no other choice but to keep going. When I really sit with it, I think that’s why I’ve become so serious about my walk and comfort. From working on the plane to solo dates in my boots, I’m intentional about how I move through the world. There’s power in posture. Power in comfort. Power in how you carry yourself when you’re holding a lot internally.

Some seasons don’t break you they just overload you with too many thoughts and too many transitions. Wale captures this so well. Life isn’t necessarily bad it’s just heavy. I’m managing, adjusting, rebuilding, and still showing up even when everything feels like a lot. This album became a mirror for the season I’m in. My life has been shifting tremendously. One moment I felt like I was on the right track, and the next my airline furloughed 1,800 flight attendants, leaving me unsure of what was next or where I truly stood. I didn’t even feel a strong pull to move to another airline. On top of that came financial overwhelm, the pressure of life moving faster than I could process, and the quiet urgency to stay consistent with freelancing while tapping into new passions.

That tension is exactly what “Power & Problems” speaks to. Online, things can look good movement, opportunities, momentum but internally there’s still weight. Pressure doesn’t disappear just because you’re capable. If anything, success amplifies what we don’t always talk about: responsibility, emotional fatigue, and the unspoken expectation to always have it together. That song forced me to take a hard look at what I really want outside of companies, titles, and systems that can change overnight. Nothing is promised, so stability has to come from within.

Then there’s my dating life which, if I’m honest, can be a little ghetto. I may even be part of the problem. I crave deep connection, but I can also become detached, impatient, and unwilling to take on the emotional labor of healing someone else. At times I want intimacy, but I often feel more at peace alone. I’ve seen too much. Loyalty feels thin these days married men, double lives, unresolved trauma handed to you like it’s your responsibility to fix. That’s why I don’t force anything.

Songs like “Watching Us” and “Like I” reflect that perfectly. Wanting love without surveillance and connection without performance. For me its simply being loved as you are, not as someone’s emotional project. I’m learning that peace is more important than potential, and authenticity matters more than availability.

There’s a line in “Power & Problems” that stays with me: “My problem, I’ll never need no one… my trauma, I’ll never be comfortable.” This season has required me to deal with a lot on my own. Sometimes I don’t talk about things because most people can’t fix them, and even venting can become overwhelming. Online people will perceive that everything is good because I keep the ship moving. What people don’t see is the internal effort it takes to keep pushing simply because thats your only option.

That’s why I’m learning to stop fighting my emotions. To feel what I need to feel without rushing myself out of it. The song “Survive” reminds me that there are seasons where the goal isn’t to thrive or level up it’s simply to stay. I’m being forced to sit with certain things instead of always trying to do different things to avoid the reality.

Documenting those moments, especially the quiet ones, has become part of how I process and stay present. Journaling has helped me in ways I didn’t expect. Some things don’t make sense until I write them out and once I do, I can reflect and reprocess what’s actually happening. It’s been a big part of my self awareness.

Everything is a lot and sometimes, even in the midst of all of it, you still have to keep the boat moving. This world wouldn’t be what it is without music and art that holds space for feelings we haven’t learned how to say out loud yet. As a creator, I pull inspiration from places that feel what I feel and this album reminded me that carrying a lot doesn’t mean I’m losing. It means I’m still here.

This post was created in paid collaboration with Responsival. Some links may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn commission if you purchase through them. As always all thought and opinions are my own.