Add or remove?

Am I filling empty space—or am I removing what’s unnecessary from it?

I ask myself this question across many parts of life.

In work: am I adding designs that matter, or stripping away what doesn’t belong?

In relationships: am I trying to collect more friends, or choosing the best ones and keeping them close?

In wealth: am I chasing new opportunities, or staying the course for the long game?

Experience has taught me that happiness comes less from adding and more from removing. I’m happiest when there’s space in my work. I’m happiest with a few close, quality friendships. And I invest—not speculate.

But everything that brings us joy can also bring us pain. The dream job can keep you awake at night. The people you love most will one day leave—and that loss becomes suffering. A luxury lifestyle often raises unrealistic expectations.

To me, happiness isn’t about having everything I want. It’s about needing less. The fewer the expectations, the greater the joy. I’m not chasing “more,” but refining toward “enough.”