An old proverb in Italian says, "Il troppo stroppia."
It means that too much of anything is not such a great thing.
In short, too much is too much.
Even when it's a good thing.
I had a lovely conversation yesterday on how too much of something we love or want can end up making us loathe that very thing.
Particularly, we were talking about work and how it's just too much some days, and everything we'd love is to turn it off. You know the feeling. You want more projects, more gigs, more contracts, more work. And then you find yourself buried in the things to do, deadlines, and expectations to the point that you don't love it anymore.
That is what that Italian proverb truly says. It uses the verb "stroppiare," which is an ancient and popular variant of "storpiare", meaning to cripple.
So, what it says is that excess of anything spoils the whole, cripples or corrupts it. It ruins it.
Yet, it is so easy to get there. Ultimately, when you love, like, or enjoy something so much, it's natural to want more. The brain is a reward detector, constantly pushing to repeat what gives pleasure.
But how do we avoid getting to the point where it is too much?
Personally, I deliberately practice self-restraint. Like, I regularly take time off from things I love. Not to prove how strong I am. But to protect what I love from my love of it.
What do you do to avoid getting too much of a good thing?
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