I Am Enough
The Sunday sun was shining and my husband and I were planning an ambitious adventure with our dog, Turi. Our sights were set on discovering a new walking route. But getting there would require a one-hour drive, followed by a half-hour ferry ride. We could pack a rich picnic lunch and snacks for Turi, then ride our bicycles in the tranquility of the countryside. But as we began to prepare, we realized getting out the door would require a lot of work. In fact, we were exhausted before even getting in the car.
So instead we simplified our plans, bringing a bottle of water to share between all three of us for a one-hour walk in the local countryside.
After a quick exit, we discovered a new routine close to home that we would never have found had we stuck to our original plan. The sun was shining, and we had no idea where this new route would end, but before we knew it, the one hour walk had extended to two.
Life suddenly felt spontaneous. We were living in the moment. We were tasting the sweetness of life. Turi was carefree, happy to be off the leash. We laughed so much and had a great time. Upon our return home, we caught the sunset and still had enough energy to try a new home-cooked recipe.
I share this experience because it reminded me that we don’t need much or extra luxury to be happy in life. We simply need to appreciate what we already have.
What if you regularly reminded yourself, “I am enough, and I have enough”?
Many of us get confused, working 40-50 hours a week to get the luxury of an iPhone, exotic holidays, fancy cars, a second property, etc. We think chasing extra material items (even when we are exhausted and burned out) will make us happy, when in reality, what we are missing is the precious time and energy we could be spending with our friends, family, and ourselves.
Can we choose to live a simple life AND be happy?
When we can truly lean into the mantra, “I am enough, and I have enough”, I am confident the answer is yes. It reminds me of the anonymous quote, “Some people are so poor, all they have is money.” What if it is only through this simple reframe that our own enoughness can become more valuable than any luxury item we could ever chase? What if THAT is luxury? What if THAT is the real definition of being rich?
Every single one of us can likely point to times in our lives when we have wanted to make things different than they are, be it better, faster, bigger, warmer, or bolder. And it is exhausting!
What if we gave ourselves permission to let go of this striving energy, even just for a few minutes at a time each day? What if we could accept our circumstances, ourselves and others without needing to change anything? And what if, in letting go of this striving, we replaced it with a lens of gratitude? In my own life, I have discovered that when I focus on cultivating a practice of gratitude, I naturally begin to move in the direction of abundance.
Reach out today. I’d love to hear your story of simply being enough.
