The Cup I Didn't Finish

A few mornings ago, I poured myself a cup of coffee. I made it just the way I like: a strong pour-over, freshly ground, perfectly timed. It was great. But as I sipped, I noticed something: the coffee was telling me more than I expected.

It wasn’t the flavor, the temperature, or the method. It was the size.

I drink coffee out of a mug I bought years ago. It’s a standard size—nothing special. But lately, I’ve been wondering: why do I need this much coffee? Do I actually need any coffee?

That cup I didn’t finish wasn’t about wasting coffee or being distracted. It was about realizing I didn’t need as much as I thought.

We overdo it all the time. We overfill our calendars, our to-do lists, our expectations. We think more is better. More work. More ambition. More coffee. But what if it’s not?

That morning, I didn’t finish my coffee because I didn’t need to. I had enough. Enough clarity. Enough energy. Enough focus.

We think stopping means we’ve fallen short. It doesn’t. Stopping means we’ve reached “enough.” And recognizing that is a skill—not a failure.

The funny thing is, I’ve started pouring less coffee since then. And it’s not just about the coffee anymore. It’s about everything.

How much time, effort, and energy do we waste chasing more, when what we really need is less?

Sometimes, a half-full cup isn’t a problem. It’s proof you’ve got what you need.