I talk about icebergs at work a lot.

Did you know that the part of an iceberg  you can see above the surface of the water is only 1/9th of the total mass?  This is where the phrase “tip of the iceberg” comes from.  So, I talk about icebergs because the image is a very helpful metaphor. Basically, it all boils down to:

What you can see about another person/relationship isn’t the whole picture. 

When we see SuperMom go sailing by, perfectly put together, with her perfect children behaving perfectly… we sometimes judge ourselves, and come up lacking. But this isn’t fair.  Even Supermom has her insecurities, her imperfections, her failings… maybe even her own secrets.

You can’t help but learn this lesson as a therapist.  Every day, I see people, who, if I only saw them on the street, would probably strike me as so put together, so stylish, so successful.  But because of the nature of our work together, they sit on my sofa and speak honestly about some sort of problem or another.  It’s a real gift to me, one that I would love to share with every one of you:

You are not alone!  It’s not just you! Everyone has something that challenges them, that they struggle with, that they regret!  You just can’t see it in them because we all keep our inner lives (8/9th of us, at least!) hidden inside.

So, beware the icebergs ahead…  Remember that everyone has more going on than is outwardly visible, and be kind to yourself (and them), since we never really know what’s going on for another.

PS.  A related, great phrase–not mine but I don’t know who said it originally: “Don’t judge your insides by other people’s outsides.”

Iceberg photo from wikipedia.