March 6, 2025 • 23 mins
In this episode of Resilience Gone Wild, host Jessica Morgenthal dives into the powerful iceberg metaphor to explore the hidden depths of our resilience. Just like an iceberg, much of our strength, emotions, and experiences remain unseen, yet they shape who we are.
Jessica discusses how understanding the hidden aspects of our subconscious mind can help us navigate challenges, uncover inner strength, and develop a deeper sense of self-awareness. She also connects this idea to the environmental threats facing glaciers, emphasizing how personal and planetary resilience go hand in hand.
By recognizing what lies beneath the surface—both in ourselves and in the natural world—we can become more adaptable, mentally tough, and prepared to face life's uncertainties. This episode is a must-listen for anyone searching for ways to build resilience, embrace change, and uncover their true potential.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
Welcome to Resilience Gone Wild, where we look
to nature for lessons on how to thrive
when life feels unpredictable.
I'm Jessica Morgenthal, and in today's episode,
we're exploring one of the most breathtaking
and unexpected transformations in nature, the flipping iceberg.
(00:26):
Picture an iceberg floating in the ocean,
solid,
stable,
massive.
For weeks, months, even years, it drifts with
the currents,
keeping 90% of its mass hidden beneath the
surface.
And then, in an instant,
everything shifts.
With an enormous force, the iceberg flips over,
(00:47):
revealing an entirely new surface,
often a brilliant electric blue that has been
hidden from view for centuries.
This isn't just a dramatic natural event. It's
a powerful metaphor for resilience.
We all have parts of ourselves that remain
unseen.
Our experiences,
struggles,
and strengths bury below the surface. There are
(01:10):
moments in life when we reach a tipping
point, when something shifts and what's hidden comes
to light.
Those are moments of change, of clarity,
of reinvention.
And just like the iceberg,
when we flip, we reveal a new side
of ourselves,
one shaped by everything we've been through.
So how do icebergs flip? Why do they
(01:31):
transform so suddenly?
And what does this teach us about when
and how to reveal our own hidden depths?
That's what we're diving into today.
At the edges of the frozen world, glaciers
stretch along the land, moving so slowly they
(01:53):
seem still.
In the Arctic where the ocean is surrounded
by rugged coastlines,
glaciers form on landmasses like Greenland,
Canada,
Alaska,
Norway, and Russia.
They press forward through valleys and over cliffs
creeping towards the sea where their edges eventually
break away into icebergs.
(02:19):
Far to the south in Antarctica,
glaciers behave differently.
Here, instead of flowing through mountains,
they are part of a vast ice sheet
covering nearly the entire continent.
Some stretch hundreds of miles towards the coast
where they merge into floating ice shelves,
massive platforms of glacial ice that extend over
(02:40):
the ocean.
These shelves can remain intact for centuries,
but as they thin and weaken, they eventually
break apart in dramatic events,
releasing icebergs far larger than those seen in
the Arctic. Not all glaciers reach the ocean.
Many simply melt into rivers and lakes,
feeding some of the largest waterways on Earth.
(03:01):
The rivers that flow from Himalayan glaciers supply
water to billions of people in Asia.
In the Rocky Mountains and Alps,
glacial melt fuels rivers that carve through valleys
and floodplains.
Even the Grand Canyon,
though mostly shaped by the Colorado River, was
once fed by glacial meltwater during the last
(03:21):
ice age.
These glaciers shape landscapes
just as powerfully as those that send icebergs
drifting into the sea. Glaciers are more than
just ice.
They are sculptures of the land, shaping the
world in ways we can still see today.
As they move over thousands to millions of
years, they grind down mountains,
carve valleys,
and create entire landscapes,
(03:43):
leaving behind deep fjords,
towering cliffs
and vast freshwater lakes.
The Great Lakes Of North America
formed by glaciers over tens of thousands of
years.
The stunning mountain valleys of Patagonia
carved by ice.
The deep, narrow fjords of Norway,
glaciers shaped them over millennia.
(04:05):
Even places that are now far from the
poles were once covered in ice, their modern
landscapes still carrying the imprint of glaciers
that have long since vanished.
For millions of years, glaciers in both polar
regions have been in motion, pressing forward under
their own weight,
(04:26):
reshaping the land beneath them as they inch
toward the ocean.
Some will continue their journey until they meet
the tides, where the warmth of the sea
weakens their base.
Others at an average reading faster than they
are moving forward,
melting from within before they ever have the
chance to break free.
Unlike seasonal ice, which melts and refreezes each
(04:47):
year, glaciers do not vanish and return.
Once they break apart, they are lost to
the sea.
Imagine you are trekking somewhere in the Arctic,
standing atop a glacier feeling the powerful wind
sweep across the frozen tundra.
Ahead of you towards the sea,
(05:08):
the pressure is building silently.
The frozen walls fracture,
and then
a massive section of ice breaks free plunging
into the water.
Carried by the currents,
reshaped by the wind and waves, it is
not empty. It carries life.
(05:30):
Seabirds will wheel overhead,
petrels, gulls, and albatrosses,
all circling this floating world,
scanning the waters below for fish drawn to
the nutrients released from the melting ice.
A seal will haul itself onto the iceberg's
edge,
resting after a long hunt.
Here, it will be safe from predators,
(05:52):
using the solid ice as a refuge from
the dangers lurking below. Later, a polar bear
will clamber onto the iceberg,
using it as a temporary hunting platform.
Icebergs don't offer the same stability as sea
ice, but with the Arctic ice disappearing faster
than ever, bears are learning to adapt, moving
across the ice in search of their next
(06:13):
meal.
And beneath the surface, in the deep cold
waters,
humpback whales will glide by,
drawn to the krill that thrive in the
icebergs nutrient rich wake. Yet for all that
(06:35):
life,
most of the iceberg remains unseen.
The towering ice that rises from the sea
is only a fraction of its true size.
90% of an iceberg remains hidden below the
surface,
stretching downward,
sometimes hundreds of feet into the depths.
What remains hidden determines everything,
(06:55):
how the iceberg moves, how it melts,
even when and how it will eventually flip
over.
Over time, warm ocean currents melt the iceberg's
base, shifting its weight. The balance changes
slowly at first.
(07:17):
You look out in a different direction from
your perch, and suddenly,
an iceberg starts to sway and lean. What
was once submerged
unseen
now emerges into the light. The iceberg reveals
its brilliant blue underside,
ice that has been compressed for tens of
thousands of years,
untouched by sunlight,
(07:38):
smooth and dense,
shimmering with frozen time.
The ocean churns,
waves roll outward.
It completely inverts, and the iceberg is forever
changed. The iceberg has flipped, revealing what was
always there, hidden beneath the surface.
The weight it carries below the water line,
the very thing that made it stable for
(07:59):
so long,
has now become the part exposed to the
world.
What lay beneath the surface moments before
that gave the iceberg its strength
is now visible,
powerful,
and magnificent.
This isn't just true for icebergs. It's true
(08:20):
for us.
For most of its existence, 90% of an
iceberg remains unseen,
holding its shape beneath the waterline.
What the world sees, the jagged frozen peak
breaking through the surface,
is only a small fraction of its true
size and power, just as what we reveal
to others is only a fraction of who
we are.
(08:41):
The iceberg model of the mind was first
introduced by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis.
He described the mind as an iceberg.
What we consciously know and express is only
the tip,
while the vast majority of our thoughts,
instincts, and emotions exist below the surface.
Below the waterline is our subconscious
(09:02):
memories,
instincts, and beliefs that influence us even when
we're not aware of them.
And deeper still in the cold, dark depths
is our unconscious,
the fears,
desires,
experiences,
and emotions
that have grown with us for as long
as we've existed.
We like to believe that what's visible, our
(09:24):
choices,
our logic, our intentions
are what drives us.
But just like the iceberg, it's what's hidden
beneath the surface that truly determines how we
move through the world.
Importantly, the subconscious mind is not the same
as the shadow side, the darker suppressed aspects
of ourselves that we explored in our spooky
Halloween episode.
(09:45):
The shadow side is what we reject or
deny about ourselves.
The hidden depths of the iceberg aren't necessarily
dark or unwanted.
They are simply unseen.
This is where our deepest strengths reside.
Think about the experiences that have shaped you,
the challenges you've overcome,
the wisdom you've gained,
(10:07):
the resilience you've built over time.
Many of these things exist beneath your surface,
unseen by others,
perhaps even unnoticed by yourself.
Yet, just like an iceberg, they are what
holds you up.
We don't always recognize the depth of what
we carry.
Some of our greatest strengths,
(10:27):
power and resilience,
our courage,
our endurance,
our ability to adapt,
are buried deep out of sight,
shaping our movements. And just like the iceberg,
there are moments when what has been hidden
needs to come to the surface.
Sometimes it happens gradually
through self discovery,
reflection, or time.
(10:48):
Other times it happens suddenly, like an iceberg
flipping,
when a shift in our world causes what's
been submerged
to rise,
exposing strengths we never knew we had. These
are the forces that flip our iceberg,
bringing the unseen parts of ourselves into view.
It can feel overwhelming.
The stability we once relied on has shifted.
(11:10):
We are exposed,
vulnerable.
And yet, just like the iceberg, we do
not stay unstable forever.
After a flip, the iceberg finds its balance
again in the water.
It may drift differently than before,
reshaped by the change, but it remains strong.
When we take the time to explore what
(11:30):
we carry beneath the waterline,
we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves,
our motivations,
our strengths, our hidden wisdom.
And when we know what's there, we can
move through life with greater confidence.
We are less shaken by uncertainty
because we understand the depth of what holds
us up. And when life demands that we
(11:51):
rise, that we shift, that we reveal something
new,
we are ready.
The iceberg does not resist its transformation,
neither should we.
So here's the question.
Do you know what's holding you up? Have
you taken the time to recognize the experiences,
strengths and insights that have shaped you? Or
(12:11):
do they remain unseen even to you?
When challenges come, do you trust the foundation
that's been built through your struggles,
your lessons, your growth? Or do you forget
how much strength you already carry?
Resilience is not about forcing yourself to be
strong all the time. It's about trusting that
your strength is already there, even when you
(12:32):
can't see it.
There will be moments,
times of upheaval of transformation
when what has been hidden needs to rise.
After an iceberg flips, it finds a new
equilibrium.
It settles into its shape not weaker than
before,
only
changed. It moves forward differently with a new
(12:52):
part of itself now visible to the world.
When life shifts beneath you, do you fight
to hold yourself in place?
Or do you trust that what emerges will
make you stronger?
The resilience lesson of the iceberg is this
your hidden depths,
your experiences,
your strengths, your challenges are not burdens.
(13:13):
They are your foundation.
Bringing your depth to the surface is not
always easy. It can feel unfamiliar,
even uncomfortable
to step into what has long remained unseen.
We may worry that others won't understand it.
We may not fully trust it ourselves.
Yet the depths of an iceberg are its
strongest,
most stable parts,
(13:34):
and the depths of who you are, your
wisdom, your courage, your experiences are what makes
you steady in a shifting world. If this
is true, then the question is, how well
do you know your own iceberg?
Let's take a moment to find out.
If you can right now, find a piece
of paper and something to write with.
(13:55):
If not,
mark this spot in your podcast app and
go back to fully dig into this exercise
later.
To start, draw an iceberg.
Remember that 90% is below the water line.
Start by jotting notes on your iceberg with
what's visible at the surface,
(14:16):
the things about yourself that others know,
the parts of you that are easiest to
share,
your role in the world,
your personality,
the way you present yourself day to day.
Then move to the massive portion below,
the part of you that holds everything in
place,
(14:36):
the parts that are not always visible but
are always present.
What's there?
Maybe it's the grit you developed after pushing
through failures,
even when no one knew how hard it
was.
Maybe it's the patience and love you've given,
even in the most exhausting moments. Maybe it's
the way you've overcome self doubt,
(14:56):
the persistence you've shown when everything felt uncertain,
or the quiet confidence
that has grown from simply choosing to keep
going.
What's coming to mind for you? What are
your inner strengths that hold you up while
you move forward on your path in life?
(15:17):
Now imagine what happens when you start letting
all these strengths be seen, not just for
yourself,
but for others too.
Maybe you're the one who makes people laugh
because you have deep empathy and understanding for
others
shaped by your own past struggles.
Sharing that empathy helps others feel less alone.
Maybe you're a leader in your field who
(15:38):
has spent years doubting yourself,
pushing through failures and uncertainty to get where
you are.
What if you shared that part of your
journey instead of only showing your success?
Who might that inspire?
Maybe you're great at solving problems and learn
resilience by navigating chaos,
figuring things out as you went.
But if you taught others to adapt instead
(16:00):
of keeping that wisdom locked inside,
maybe you've been the strong one in your
family, holding up years of learned patience,
quiet endurance and self sacrifice.
What if you created a space for others
to share the weight?
Look at your iceberg, all that is below
(16:20):
the surface, all the hidden strengths,
every untold story,
every lesson.
All this is what holds you up.
Now ask yourself,
what is one part of you that's ready
to bring forward?
What is something you know about yourself that
has made you stronger,
that deserves to be recognized,
(16:40):
even if the world hasn't fully seen it
yet?
And then, who else do you see holding
weight beneath the surface?
Who do you know that has resilience,
strength, and wisdom just waiting to rise?
The answer is surely everyone in your life.
How can you create space for them to
bring it forward?
(17:02):
If you have a journal, write all this
down.
If you're with someone you trust, share it.
If nothing comes to mind right now, that's
okay.
The depths of an iceberg don't reveal themselves
all at once.
They shift.
They rise when the time is right.
Keep these questions in your contemplative mind.
(17:23):
What have you carried beneath the surface that
deserves to rise?
How will you embrace what has made you
stronger?
How can you help the others in your
life bring their unseen depths forward?
We are all icebergs.
We carry far more than the world can
see.
The more we understand what holds us up,
the steadier we become
(17:44):
no matter what shifts.
And when we help others bring their own
depth to the surface,
we create a world where strength is shared,
where wisdom is passed on,
where resilience ripples outward.
This is what it means to rise together.
(18:07):
Glaciers have always shifted with time and temperature,
but now they are vanishing before our very
eyes. In Antarctica and Greenland, massive ice sheets
are thinning.
Ice shelves that once anchored glaciers are collapsing,
sending more icebergs into the sea,
not because the glaciers are thriving,
but because they are destabilizing.
(18:27):
Some that should have taken decades to melt
are disappearing in just a few years, and
the effects are not staying in the polar
regions.
Glaciers store more than two thirds of the
Earth's freshwater.
As they melt,
that water has nowhere to go but into
the ocean.
Rising sea levels are already reshaping coastlines,
(18:48):
displacing communities
and increasing the frequency of extreme storms.
This isn't just about the poles. It's about
our shared future.
It can feel overwhelming.
This idea that ice thousands of miles away
is connected to our daily lives.
But just as an iceberg begins with a
single snowfall,
(19:08):
every action we take is part of something
larger. We can make a difference.
Shifting to cleaner energy,
reducing reliance on fossil fuels,
and supporting policies that slow warming,
these are not distant issues. They are global
solutions.
And while we work towards large scale change,
we can also support ongoing research into innovative
(19:29):
methods aimed at preserving existing glaciers.
Scientists and conservationists
are exploring strategies such as reducing meltwater loss,
enhancing ice reflectivity,
and stabilizing ice shelves.
These efforts are in the research phase and
need our support to advance towards practical solutions.
If you could stand before an ancient glacier,
(19:52):
one that has watched the world change for
thousands of years, what would you say?
What responsibility
do we have to protect what's left?
Protecting glaciers is not just about preserving ice.
It's about securing water for future generations,
preventing coastline destruction
and keeping fragile ecosystems alive.
(20:14):
And just as we bring our own depth
to the surface, we can help nature do
the same.
When we support conservation, we give glaciers
time, space, and a chance to survive.
When we raise awareness,
we bring hidden truths to light,
just like the unseen depths of an iceberg
hold everything in place. And when we work
together, we strengthen the foundation beneath us all.
(20:37):
Just as we help others recognize their depth,
we must recognize the depth of the world
we live in.
This is what it means to create a
win win win. When we protect glaciers,
we protect life,
ours,
wildlife, and the future of the planet.
We are all icebergs.
We carry far more than the world can
(20:57):
see. And when we protect the ice that
holds up this planet, we are protecting far
more than the glaciers.
We are protecting the world that allows all
of us to rise.
We've traveled deep beneath the surface of icebergs,
explored the resilience of what's unseen,
(21:19):
and reflected on the depths within ourselves and
the world around us.
So now as this journey comes to an
end, ask yourself,
what will you do with what has surfaced?
Maybe you've recognized a strength you've carried for
years without fully acknowledging it.
Maybe you see someone else differently now,
(21:39):
someone whose depth is waiting to be seen.
Maybe you feel a stronger connection to nature
and a deeper responsibility to protect it.
Whatever has risen for you, don't let it
sink back beneath the surface.
We are all icebergs
shaped by what is unseen.
And just like icebergs, we are part of
something much bigger than ourselves. Our resilience deepens
(22:02):
when we bring our depth forward. Our relationships
strengthen when we create space for others to
do the same.
And our world thrives when we protect what
holds everything in place.
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love
to hear what surfaced.
Share your reflections,
your iceberg drawings, your thoughts.
Start a conversation about what's hidden beneath the
(22:24):
surface,
your own,
someone else's, or the world's. And if you're
inspired to take action for the ice itself,
find your way to contribute.
Support organizations
working to protect glaciers.
Reduce the impact where you can.
Speak up.
If this message matters to you, help it
reach more people.
(22:45):
Rate and review the podcast. It helps others
discover these ideas.
Share this episode with a friend. Post about
it. Bring it into a conversation that matters.
The more we talk about what's unseen,
the more we bring depth,
resilience, and action into the world.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Until next time,
(23:05):
keep rising.
This has been a production of BLI Studios
produced by me, Kai.
Follow along with our other BLI produced shows
at balancinglife'sissues.com/podcast-BLI.
(23:26):
Got an idea for the show? Email me,
Kai, at balancing life's issues dot com. And
don't forget to stay in touch with your
host, Jessica, at jessica@winwinwinmindset.com.
Anything else to add, Miles?
Welcome to Resilience Gone Wild, where we look
to nature for lessons on how to thrive
when life feels unpredictable.
I'm Jessica Morgenthal, and in today's episode,
we're exploring one of the most breathtaking
and unexpected transformations in nature, the flipping iceberg.
(00:26):
Picture an iceberg floating in the ocean,
solid,
stable,
massive.
For weeks, months, even years, it drifts with
the currents,
keeping 90% of its mass hidden beneath the
surface.
And then, in an instant,
everything shifts.
With an enormous force, the iceberg flips over,
(00:47):
revealing an entirely new surface,
often a brilliant electric blue that has been
hidden from view for centuries.
This isn't just a dramatic natural event. It's
a powerful metaphor for resilience.
We all have parts of ourselves that remain
unseen.
Our experiences,
struggles,
and strengths bury below the surface. There are
(01:10):
moments in life when we reach a tipping
point, when something shifts and what's hidden comes
to light.
Those are moments of change, of clarity,
of reinvention.
And just like the iceberg,
when we flip, we reveal a new side
of ourselves,
one shaped by everything we've been through.
So how do icebergs flip? Why do they
(01:31):
transform so suddenly?
And what does this teach us about when
and how to reveal our own hidden depths?
That's what we're diving into today.
At the edges of the frozen world, glaciers
stretch along the land, moving so slowly they
(01:53):
seem still.
In the Arctic where the ocean is surrounded
by rugged coastlines,
glaciers form on landmasses like Greenland,
Canada,
Alaska,
Norway, and Russia.
They press forward through valleys and over cliffs
creeping towards the sea where their edges eventually
break away into icebergs.
(02:19):
Far to the south in Antarctica,
glaciers behave differently.
Here, instead of flowing through mountains,
they are part of a vast ice sheet
covering nearly the entire continent.
Some stretch hundreds of miles towards the coast
where they merge into floating ice shelves,
massive platforms of glacial ice that extend over
(02:40):
the ocean.
These shelves can remain intact for centuries,
but as they thin and weaken, they eventually
break apart in dramatic events,
releasing icebergs far larger than those seen in
the Arctic. Not all glaciers reach the ocean.
Many simply melt into rivers and lakes,
feeding some of the largest waterways on Earth.
(03:01):
The rivers that flow from Himalayan glaciers supply
water to billions of people in Asia.
In the Rocky Mountains and Alps,
glacial melt fuels rivers that carve through valleys
and floodplains.
Even the Grand Canyon,
though mostly shaped by the Colorado River, was
once fed by glacial meltwater during the last
(03:21):
ice age.
These glaciers shape landscapes
just as powerfully as those that send icebergs
drifting into the sea. Glaciers are more than
just ice.
They are sculptures of the land, shaping the
world in ways we can still see today.
As they move over thousands to millions of
years, they grind down mountains,
carve valleys,
and create entire landscapes,
(03:43):
leaving behind deep fjords,
towering cliffs
and vast freshwater lakes.
The Great Lakes Of North America
formed by glaciers over tens of thousands of
years.
The stunning mountain valleys of Patagonia
carved by ice.
The deep, narrow fjords of Norway,
glaciers shaped them over millennia.
(04:05):
Even places that are now far from the
poles were once covered in ice, their modern
landscapes still carrying the imprint of glaciers
that have long since vanished.
For millions of years, glaciers in both polar
regions have been in motion, pressing forward under
their own weight,
(04:26):
reshaping the land beneath them as they inch
toward the ocean.
Some will continue their journey until they meet
the tides, where the warmth of the sea
weakens their base.
Others at an average reading faster than they
are moving forward,
melting from within before they ever have the
chance to break free.
Unlike seasonal ice, which melts and refreezes each
(04:47):
year, glaciers do not vanish and return.
Once they break apart, they are lost to
the sea.
Imagine you are trekking somewhere in the Arctic,
standing atop a glacier feeling the powerful wind
sweep across the frozen tundra.
Ahead of you towards the sea,
(05:08):
the pressure is building silently.
The frozen walls fracture,
and then
a massive section of ice breaks free plunging
into the water.
Carried by the currents,
reshaped by the wind and waves, it is
not empty. It carries life.
(05:30):
Seabirds will wheel overhead,
petrels, gulls, and albatrosses,
all circling this floating world,
scanning the waters below for fish drawn to
the nutrients released from the melting ice.
A seal will haul itself onto the iceberg's
edge,
resting after a long hunt.
Here, it will be safe from predators,
(05:52):
using the solid ice as a refuge from
the dangers lurking below. Later, a polar bear
will clamber onto the iceberg,
using it as a temporary hunting platform.
Icebergs don't offer the same stability as sea
ice, but with the Arctic ice disappearing faster
than ever, bears are learning to adapt, moving
across the ice in search of their next
(06:13):
meal.
And beneath the surface, in the deep cold
waters,
humpback whales will glide by,
drawn to the krill that thrive in the
icebergs nutrient rich wake. Yet for all that
(06:35):
life,
most of the iceberg remains unseen.
The towering ice that rises from the sea
is only a fraction of its true size.
90% of an iceberg remains hidden below the
surface,
stretching downward,
sometimes hundreds of feet into the depths.
What remains hidden determines everything,
(06:55):
how the iceberg moves, how it melts,
even when and how it will eventually flip
over.
Over time, warm ocean currents melt the iceberg's
base, shifting its weight. The balance changes
slowly at first.
(07:17):
You look out in a different direction from
your perch, and suddenly,
an iceberg starts to sway and lean. What
was once submerged
unseen
now emerges into the light. The iceberg reveals
its brilliant blue underside,
ice that has been compressed for tens of
thousands of years,
untouched by sunlight,
(07:38):
smooth and dense,
shimmering with frozen time.
The ocean churns,
waves roll outward.
It completely inverts, and the iceberg is forever
changed. The iceberg has flipped, revealing what was
always there, hidden beneath the surface.
The weight it carries below the water line,
the very thing that made it stable for
(07:59):
so long,
has now become the part exposed to the
world.
What lay beneath the surface moments before
that gave the iceberg its strength
is now visible,
powerful,
and magnificent.
This isn't just true for icebergs. It's true
(08:20):
for us.
For most of its existence, 90% of an
iceberg remains unseen,
holding its shape beneath the waterline.
What the world sees, the jagged frozen peak
breaking through the surface,
is only a small fraction of its true
size and power, just as what we reveal
to others is only a fraction of who
we are.
(08:41):
The iceberg model of the mind was first
introduced by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis.
He described the mind as an iceberg.
What we consciously know and express is only
the tip,
while the vast majority of our thoughts,
instincts, and emotions exist below the surface.
Below the waterline is our subconscious
(09:02):
memories,
instincts, and beliefs that influence us even when
we're not aware of them.
And deeper still in the cold, dark depths
is our unconscious,
the fears,
desires,
experiences,
and emotions
that have grown with us for as long
as we've existed.
We like to believe that what's visible, our
(09:24):
choices,
our logic, our intentions
are what drives us.
But just like the iceberg, it's what's hidden
beneath the surface that truly determines how we
move through the world.
Importantly, the subconscious mind is not the same
as the shadow side, the darker suppressed aspects
of ourselves that we explored in our spooky
Halloween episode.
(09:45):
The shadow side is what we reject or
deny about ourselves.
The hidden depths of the iceberg aren't necessarily
dark or unwanted.
They are simply unseen.
This is where our deepest strengths reside.
Think about the experiences that have shaped you,
the challenges you've overcome,
the wisdom you've gained,
(10:07):
the resilience you've built over time.
Many of these things exist beneath your surface,
unseen by others,
perhaps even unnoticed by yourself.
Yet, just like an iceberg, they are what
holds you up.
We don't always recognize the depth of what
we carry.
Some of our greatest strengths,
(10:27):
power and resilience,
our courage,
our endurance,
our ability to adapt,
are buried deep out of sight,
shaping our movements. And just like the iceberg,
there are moments when what has been hidden
needs to come to the surface.
Sometimes it happens gradually
through self discovery,
reflection, or time.
(10:48):
Other times it happens suddenly, like an iceberg
flipping,
when a shift in our world causes what's
been submerged
to rise,
exposing strengths we never knew we had. These
are the forces that flip our iceberg,
bringing the unseen parts of ourselves into view.
It can feel overwhelming.
The stability we once relied on has shifted.
(11:10):
We are exposed,
vulnerable.
And yet, just like the iceberg, we do
not stay unstable forever.
After a flip, the iceberg finds its balance
again in the water.
It may drift differently than before,
reshaped by the change, but it remains strong.
When we take the time to explore what
(11:30):
we carry beneath the waterline,
we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves,
our motivations,
our strengths, our hidden wisdom.
And when we know what's there, we can
move through life with greater confidence.
We are less shaken by uncertainty
because we understand the depth of what holds
us up. And when life demands that we
(11:51):
rise, that we shift, that we reveal something
new,
we are ready.
The iceberg does not resist its transformation,
neither should we.
So here's the question.
Do you know what's holding you up? Have
you taken the time to recognize the experiences,
strengths and insights that have shaped you? Or
(12:11):
do they remain unseen even to you?
When challenges come, do you trust the foundation
that's been built through your struggles,
your lessons, your growth? Or do you forget
how much strength you already carry?
Resilience is not about forcing yourself to be
strong all the time. It's about trusting that
your strength is already there, even when you
(12:32):
can't see it.
There will be moments,
times of upheaval of transformation
when what has been hidden needs to rise.
After an iceberg flips, it finds a new
equilibrium.
It settles into its shape not weaker than
before,
only
changed. It moves forward differently with a new
(12:52):
part of itself now visible to the world.
When life shifts beneath you, do you fight
to hold yourself in place?
Or do you trust that what emerges will
make you stronger?
The resilience lesson of the iceberg is this
your hidden depths,
your experiences,
your strengths, your challenges are not burdens.
(13:13):
They are your foundation.
Bringing your depth to the surface is not
always easy. It can feel unfamiliar,
even uncomfortable
to step into what has long remained unseen.
We may worry that others won't understand it.
We may not fully trust it ourselves.
Yet the depths of an iceberg are its
strongest,
most stable parts,
(13:34):
and the depths of who you are, your
wisdom, your courage, your experiences are what makes
you steady in a shifting world. If this
is true, then the question is, how well
do you know your own iceberg?
Let's take a moment to find out.
If you can right now, find a piece
of paper and something to write with.
(13:55):
If not,
mark this spot in your podcast app and
go back to fully dig into this exercise
later.
To start, draw an iceberg.
Remember that 90% is below the water line.
Start by jotting notes on your iceberg with
what's visible at the surface,
(14:16):
the things about yourself that others know,
the parts of you that are easiest to
share,
your role in the world,
your personality,
the way you present yourself day to day.
Then move to the massive portion below,
the part of you that holds everything in
place,
(14:36):
the parts that are not always visible but
are always present.
What's there?
Maybe it's the grit you developed after pushing
through failures,
even when no one knew how hard it
was.
Maybe it's the patience and love you've given,
even in the most exhausting moments. Maybe it's
the way you've overcome self doubt,
(14:56):
the persistence you've shown when everything felt uncertain,
or the quiet confidence
that has grown from simply choosing to keep
going.
What's coming to mind for you? What are
your inner strengths that hold you up while
you move forward on your path in life?
(15:17):
Now imagine what happens when you start letting
all these strengths be seen, not just for
yourself,
but for others too.
Maybe you're the one who makes people laugh
because you have deep empathy and understanding for
others
shaped by your own past struggles.
Sharing that empathy helps others feel less alone.
Maybe you're a leader in your field who
(15:38):
has spent years doubting yourself,
pushing through failures and uncertainty to get where
you are.
What if you shared that part of your
journey instead of only showing your success?
Who might that inspire?
Maybe you're great at solving problems and learn
resilience by navigating chaos,
figuring things out as you went.
But if you taught others to adapt instead
(16:00):
of keeping that wisdom locked inside,
maybe you've been the strong one in your
family, holding up years of learned patience,
quiet endurance and self sacrifice.
What if you created a space for others
to share the weight?
Look at your iceberg, all that is below
(16:20):
the surface, all the hidden strengths,
every untold story,
every lesson.
All this is what holds you up.
Now ask yourself,
what is one part of you that's ready
to bring forward?
What is something you know about yourself that
has made you stronger,
that deserves to be recognized,
(16:40):
even if the world hasn't fully seen it
yet?
And then, who else do you see holding
weight beneath the surface?
Who do you know that has resilience,
strength, and wisdom just waiting to rise?
The answer is surely everyone in your life.
How can you create space for them to
bring it forward?
(17:02):
If you have a journal, write all this
down.
If you're with someone you trust, share it.
If nothing comes to mind right now, that's
okay.
The depths of an iceberg don't reveal themselves
all at once.
They shift.
They rise when the time is right.
Keep these questions in your contemplative mind.
(17:23):
What have you carried beneath the surface that
deserves to rise?
How will you embrace what has made you
stronger?
How can you help the others in your
life bring their unseen depths forward?
We are all icebergs.
We carry far more than the world can
see.
The more we understand what holds us up,
the steadier we become
(17:44):
no matter what shifts.
And when we help others bring their own
depth to the surface,
we create a world where strength is shared,
where wisdom is passed on,
where resilience ripples outward.
This is what it means to rise together.
(18:07):
Glaciers have always shifted with time and temperature,
but now they are vanishing before our very
eyes. In Antarctica and Greenland, massive ice sheets
are thinning.
Ice shelves that once anchored glaciers are collapsing,
sending more icebergs into the sea,
not because the glaciers are thriving,
but because they are destabilizing.
(18:27):
Some that should have taken decades to melt
are disappearing in just a few years, and
the effects are not staying in the polar
regions.
Glaciers store more than two thirds of the
Earth's freshwater.
As they melt,
that water has nowhere to go but into
the ocean.
Rising sea levels are already reshaping coastlines,
(18:48):
displacing communities
and increasing the frequency of extreme storms.
This isn't just about the poles. It's about
our shared future.
It can feel overwhelming.
This idea that ice thousands of miles away
is connected to our daily lives.
But just as an iceberg begins with a
single snowfall,
(19:08):
every action we take is part of something
larger. We can make a difference.
Shifting to cleaner energy,
reducing reliance on fossil fuels,
and supporting policies that slow warming,
these are not distant issues. They are global
solutions.
And while we work towards large scale change,
we can also support ongoing research into innovative
(19:29):
methods aimed at preserving existing glaciers.
Scientists and conservationists
are exploring strategies such as reducing meltwater loss,
enhancing ice reflectivity,
and stabilizing ice shelves.
These efforts are in the research phase and
need our support to advance towards practical solutions.
If you could stand before an ancient glacier,
(19:52):
one that has watched the world change for
thousands of years, what would you say?
What responsibility
do we have to protect what's left?
Protecting glaciers is not just about preserving ice.
It's about securing water for future generations,
preventing coastline destruction
and keeping fragile ecosystems alive.
(20:14):
And just as we bring our own depth
to the surface, we can help nature do
the same.
When we support conservation, we give glaciers
time, space, and a chance to survive.
When we raise awareness,
we bring hidden truths to light,
just like the unseen depths of an iceberg
hold everything in place. And when we work
together, we strengthen the foundation beneath us all.
(20:37):
Just as we help others recognize their depth,
we must recognize the depth of the world
we live in.
This is what it means to create a
win win win. When we protect glaciers,
we protect life,
ours,
wildlife, and the future of the planet.
We are all icebergs.
We carry far more than the world can
(20:57):
see. And when we protect the ice that
holds up this planet, we are protecting far
more than the glaciers.
We are protecting the world that allows all
of us to rise.
We've traveled deep beneath the surface of icebergs,
explored the resilience of what's unseen,
(21:19):
and reflected on the depths within ourselves and
the world around us.
So now as this journey comes to an
end, ask yourself,
what will you do with what has surfaced?
Maybe you've recognized a strength you've carried for
years without fully acknowledging it.
Maybe you see someone else differently now,
(21:39):
someone whose depth is waiting to be seen.
Maybe you feel a stronger connection to nature
and a deeper responsibility to protect it.
Whatever has risen for you, don't let it
sink back beneath the surface.
We are all icebergs
shaped by what is unseen.
And just like icebergs, we are part of
something much bigger than ourselves. Our resilience deepens
(22:02):
when we bring our depth forward. Our relationships
strengthen when we create space for others to
do the same.
And our world thrives when we protect what
holds everything in place.
If this episode resonated with you, I'd love
to hear what surfaced.
Share your reflections,
your iceberg drawings, your thoughts.
Start a conversation about what's hidden beneath the
(22:24):
surface,
your own,
someone else's, or the world's. And if you're
inspired to take action for the ice itself,
find your way to contribute.
Support organizations
working to protect glaciers.
Reduce the impact where you can.
Speak up.
If this message matters to you, help it
reach more people.
(22:45):
Rate and review the podcast. It helps others
discover these ideas.
Share this episode with a friend. Post about
it. Bring it into a conversation that matters.
The more we talk about what's unseen,
the more we bring depth,
resilience, and action into the world.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Until next time,
(23:05):
keep rising.
This has been a production of BLI Studios
produced by me, Kai.
Follow along with our other BLI produced shows
at balancinglife'sissues.com/podcast-BLI.
(23:26):
Got an idea for the show? Email me,
Kai, at balancing life's issues dot com. And
don't forget to stay in touch with your
host, Jessica, at jessica@winwinwinmindset.com.
Anything else to add, Miles?
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.