The Weight of “I Have To” and “I Must”

How often do we fill our days with "I have to..." or "I must..."? I must answer this email, attend this meeting, stay late, and do more. The list never ends. Before we realize it, we are drowning in obligations that we never honestly questioned.

But how many of these things are crucial? How many are necessary for our happiness, purpose, and well-being? If we are not careful, we let expectations—our own and those of others—pile onto us until they consume our lives and drain our energy.

Yes, there are things we must do—our responsibilities, commitments, and values. But not everything deserves that level of urgency. Not everything is a necessity. Some things are just distractions disguised as duties. Some things are just burdens we never stopped to question.

So pause before saying "I have to..." or "I must...". Ask yourself: Is this genuinely essential? Or am I just adding weight to my shoulders? The more we separate what is crucial from what is expected, the lighter, freer, and more intentional our lives become.

Because if we don’t make that distinction, those endless piles of "musts" will eat away at our time, energy, and eventually, our souls.