When you slow down and take the time to look back at your life thus far, you’ve actually accomplished so much. You’ve persevered through challenges that would have broken most. But instead of celebrating, that voice inside of your head warns you, “Don’t relax, yet. Keep pushing. You’re not there, yet.”

So you keep hustling and double-down on working harder, justifying it with “rational” concerns that things could change anytime and, heck, your competition isn’t resting. Even on vacation, you’re thinking about work and constantly checking your messages to put out fires. You’re in a beautiful place having an amazing meal with incredible entertainment, yet you're feeling numb like you’re going through the motions and you’re not emotionally present.

Why is it so hard for us high achievers to simply relax and feel good? Why does joy feel like a luxury instead of a birthright? Here’s the truth few high performers discuss: Many of us have built our lives to handle stress, but never learned how to handle joy.

Once we reach school age, the system starts to praise hard work and discipline over creative imagination and fun. Each year you age, things get more serious and restrictive. In order to compete and move on to the next level, you need to work hard first in........

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