Perhaps I was oblivious to any previous popularity, but it seems to me that the word enough has come into vogue in the past several years.
On one hand, social media memes, jewelry and home decor, and self-help blogs abound in reminders that each one of us “is enough”.
On the other, those same sources proclaim “enough already” with the accumulation of material goods. Call it what you will (decluttering, simplifying, and minimalism are common catchwords), the “less is better” mantra is an oft-repeated one.
The latter is a philosophy I’ve ascribed to most of my life. I don’t like clutter. And while my sister will tell you I rarely made my bed as a child (she’s right), my bedroom was otherwise neat and tidy and, by design, not filled with lots of “stuff”.
The former — the “you are enough” — concept is one I’ve never felt applied to me. Growing up, I got both the explicit and implied messages from those around me that I wasn’t enough in many ways — not pretty enough, not popular enough, not smart enough, not outgoing enough, not poised enough . . . As a result, I spent the vast majority of my life trying to prove to myself and to those around me that I am enough, and for the most part the results have been disastrous.
I’m not sure why, but in the past year I’ve been rethinking both concepts — that a person (i.e. me) is enough and that most of us have accumulated more than enough — and I’ve come to two conclusions.
First, on my own merit, my own talents and efforts, I am not enough. I need Someone else in my life. And not just in my life on a peripheral basis, but in my life as the focus.
Second, while I still believe that most of us have more than enough “stuff”, I’ve come to believe it’s not the amount of it that matters. Instead, it’s the level of importance we place on the stuff and what we do with it that does.
This week I’ll be focusing on these two conclusions on social media. If you haven’t already done so, “follow” and “like” my facebook page and Instagram (Patti Miinch, on both) and join in the conversation.
And that’s enough for now — see you here again next Monday!