I’m lucky enough to be sitting on a beautiful beach right now. But my mind keeps telling me I should be in the water, “living life to the fullest.”

That’s the story. But it’s not how I actually feel.

Stories define our experience of reality.

Whatever stories we tell ourselves dictate how we feel.

I want to simply sit, relax, and write while enjoying a cortado.

That may not be min-maxing my experience and opportunity on the beautiful island of Ibiza. But there's an art in restraint and following what you actually want, not extracting the most out of the moment.

Living to the fullest doesn't need to be a maximalist experience.

So I had the opportunity to reshape the narrative to quell those voices demanding me to do more. I instead found the beauty in holding back and enjoying.

There is a skillfulness in restraint. And I can relish in knowing that I am living fully even when I am not maximizing every possible experience.

Like when a musician takes a solo—it’s not about cramming in as many notes as possible. The silence in between is what gives the music shape. It’s what lets each note breathe.

Restraint is underrated. When we use it wisely, we can find ourselves savoring our moments because we haven't flooded our experience.