Enough

Enough.

What comes to mind when you say that word out loud? For some yoga students this past week, it evoked a sense of throwing our hand up and firmly saying, "ENOUGH!" as in, enough violence, enough cyber-shopping, enough Thanksgiving leftovers! There's a part of us calling for less. I think similar things when I ponder that single word, but my intention for the week was to actually focus on "Good Enough", which feels quite different to the above meaning of saturation and switches the focus into the concept of self-worth.

The focus of this week has been reaffirming that each and every one of us doesn't need anything else. Who and what we are, what we know, and what we have is enough...as is. We don't need to reach beyond the current moment to be better than the present version of ourselves. For many years I held a belief that I didn't know enough. I had undertaken both undergraduate and graduate degrees, attended countless workshops and trainings, self-improvement weekends, and aromatherapy sessions. A part of me simply didn't trust that what I had to share with the world was sufficient and only when I had that next diploma, certificate, or degree could I be valued. I don't know what flipped the switch, but I now have a different attitude and hold the belief that what I know can impact others, even though I don't know all there is to know. I know enough and that's good enough. That's not to say that I'm not curious or interested in learning more. I am and am constantly looking for topics that pique my interest, but a sense of desperation no longer accompanies the wanting to learn. I have my own sense of what knowing enough means in being able to do what I do.

As I spoke about this idea throughout the week, a yoga student forwarded along an article that was related to this topic and mentioned the concept of the "anxious striver". The person who is constantly looking for what's next, propelled by an underlying sense of their current state as being inadequate. They move from one thing to another, dissatisfied and wary of being okay with what they have or know. And the question begs to be asked, "At what point do you know if it's enough? Do you know what enough feels and looks like?". Imagine being on your deathbed and saying, "Wait, I'm not ready as I haven't done, said, learned, earned, or loved enough!"

In some ways, I believe perfectionism plays a role in this and can be instilled in us from a young age. As a budding gymnast, a coach of mine would say, "Practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect." In training we had to perform 10-consecutive routines without noticeable errors, especially falling off the beam. If you were on routine #10 and fell...you had to begin again at one. Yep...it could take a long time to get through all that. And yes, it made you fight to stay on the beam and I did become a better gymnast for that, but it instilled a sense of perfectionism in me that lingers today.

Thankfully, as I've aged,  I have softened and learned to be more forgiving toward myself for being unapologetically imperfect. And it doesn't mean to stop learning, to stop being curious and just settle. It means to know that at this moment we are all that we need to be and, yes, opportunity for expansive experiences await, but we don't need to wait to do something because of feeling "not good enough" to even begin.

Have you ever thought when I...lose weight, get a job title, retire, have more vacation time, etc, I'll then do...? Let's stop here and take a deep breath. Now is the time to step fully into your own life. Embrace and celebrate all that you are right now because I'm here to share a little secret. You. Are. Enough.

Now get busy being you!