Enough IS Enough

When is enough, enough?

It is said that the human race suffers from the malady of “just one more”.

Today’s thought is not about those times when we lose our patience and scream out the words: “Enough…is…ENOUGH!!!”

It is about achieving the rare state of contentment where one is able to say: “It is Enough to have just Enough. I am contented, fulfilled, satisfied, at peace, and absolutely grateful for everything that I have right now. I can have more money, friends, pleasures, adventures, achievements, vitality… because more IS more… but Enough is also just that – Enough. I don’t have to chase more of more to be more fulfilled than I already am. It is an entirely available option to me, to climb higher, go deeper, run faster, and expand myself in all sorts of ways – materially and immaterially – because I am not submitting to Complacency. BUT – and this is the key point I want to make here – MY CHOICE to achieve/accumulate more in life DOES NOT have to come from a place of Lack and Scarcity, but from a place of Freewill Intentional Living.

The true meaning of Abundance is to be so contented with my present state, that I am free to make intentional choices.

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We can always have more of what life has to offer, but what’s stopping us from practising the art of Contentment? So that, when we do strive for excellence, we are not driven by a spirit of Greed or Fear of Lack, but instead thrive in living our best life because we are freely choosing – in other words, being intentional about – our investments of time, money, energy and emotions.

So many people wish they could live in a home with less stuff, more space, nicer things. They would totally declutter and go all minimalist RIGHT NOW, except:

• What if I need that someday in the future?
• It could be worth lots of money one day.
• It would take too much time to sort everything all out.
• I need it all.
• I can’t remember where I put the other one so I bought this to replace it.
• It’s old and tatty but I can still use it even though I have another newer one right here.
• I’m scared to let it go.

As I think of the reasons people (like I used to, and sometimes still do) rationalise why they can’t possibly reduce their physical possessions by even 1-5 items, it occurs to me that the opposite of a mindset of Scarcity, is a mindset of Enoughness – an acceptance of feeling perfectly satisfied with sufficient resources as opposed to going after maximum capacity just because it’s immediately available to us. Seriously, you don’t have to buy that second t-shirt just because it’s on a “buy 2 get 1 discounted” sale and you can “find room in the wardrobe”.

The term “abundance” is usually linked with the idea that we can attract wealth (material or immaterial) one day. What if, instead of chasing that future state of “abundance”, we take stock of our current state, and recognise the Enoughness in it? Let’s do an exercise – try saying this out loud:

I have enough.

Did you believe yourself when you said that? If you kind of didn’t, Why not? What don’t you have enough of? air? water? sunshine? sleep? food? shelter? How are you robbing yourself of the basic necessities of life? There could be a message for you in there. If you did believe yourself, congratulations, you are a winner and ready to read the next one – also out loud.

I am enough.

How did you go with that one? Not as easy? It’s OK, we have a solution for making both statements above become more of a truth inside your being.

The art of Contentment is executed with the tool of Gratitude.

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If your home is cluttered and overly filled with things that you know are neither necessary nor adding to your quality of life, and the reason for that is your mindset of Scarcity, then practising the art of Contentment will help you transition from Scarcity to Enoughness.

Just fill in the blanks:

• I am so thankful for …
• I am so lucky that …
• I am so relieved …
• I am so grateful that …
• I have been blessed with …
• I can’t believe I get to …
• It was a big help when …

You level up in the art of Contentment when you go from counting your blessings in private to actually saying “Thank You” to others:

• Thank YOU for that time you …
• Thank YOU for being …
• Thank YOU for doing …
• Thank YOU for your …

As you practice the art of Contentment using the tool of Gratitude, I hope you find yourself living in a state of Enoughness, so much so that you are finally ready to say goodbye to the things that you know are neither necessary nor improving your quality of life.

#reset your perception of having and being Enough

#release yourself to live with Freewill and Intention

My May goal: List 3 things I’m grateful for every day and thoughtfully thank a person every day this month.