I’ve been noticing a pattern lately.

Sometimes I eat when I’m not hungry.
Not for fuel.
But for connection.

A froyo run with my daughter.
Something homemade by my wife.
Moments that feel like love.

And saying no feels like rejection.
Of them.
Of the moment.
Of the connection I don’t want to lose.

But here’s the hard part…

I do the same thing in business.

Say yes to work for a client I’m not aligned with.
Take on a project that doesn’t light me up.
Hold onto something I should have let go of.

Why?

To feel connected.
To feel needed.
To feel valuable.

But when that yes pulls me away from who I’m becoming?
It’s not connection.
It’s a quiet drift.

And over time…
That drift becomes distance.

So here’s what I’m learning:

You can have both.
Connection and alignment.
But it starts with being honest.
With yourself.
With them.

The people who really love you..
Don’t need you to break promises to yourself just to belong.

🚀

​- James