Not So Much

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” — Marcus Aurelius

The Obstacle

We carry a lot of voices inside us, and many of them run on autopilot. They pull us from what matters and keep us rushing from urgent to urgent, missing the important. They steal our presence away from the people right in front of us. These voices drain our time, our energy, our focus, and our relationships. They convince us their stress is necessary, that their pressure is useful, and that their lies are the truth. It’s uncomfortable to see how often they take over — and how often we react instead of choose.

The Gift and Opportunity

When we start to understand these voices for what they are, everything begins to change. Each time we notice them, we get a little more understanding and control. We get a choice. We can redirect our energy, choose connection over urgency, presence over autopilot, and love over fear. The more we notice, the more time and attention we get back. This is the steady work of becoming not-so much.

The Practice of Self-Mastery

Notice which voice shows up — name it.

Ask: What’s needed now?

Ask: What actually matters?

Ask if the stress is even worth it.

Respond with empathy, curiosity, creativity, purpose, or action.

Choose love instead of fear.

Take off autopilot and put it on manual control.