Enoughness is a strange word, not only does it soundweird, as if it's wrong somehow, its meaning is stranger, almost alien. What exactly is meant by enoughness? it simply refers to 'have enough.' Enough of all we may need or want. Be it love, money, resources, relationships, money, health, spiritual fulfillment, contentment. Enoughness does not mean having 'ample' or large quantities of things in life, it means "feeling satiated with what we have in life" In our consumption consumed reality we are mentally and emotionally trained to be afflicted with "EXCESS Syndrome." This excess of everything is our ultimate aim in life, and to settle for less is considered a sure sign of weakness. Being ambitious, going after what you want, having visibly more stuff than others is desirable and is a mark of success and happiness. In this quest for the next best thing, to possess all and more of what can be possessed, in our struggle to put an ownership seal on relationships, love, children, success, money, and also keep looking out for more, we short change ourselves. As our gaze is raised towards acquiring the next possession, we deny ourselves the pleasure to see and appreciate what we already have.
WHAT would happen if we embrace, assume, seize and celebrate our ENOUGHNESS? there is nothing more common than feelings of 'disatisfaction' at everything. Most people are disgruntled, annoyed, frustrated with their lives, because they wish to have had more of what they have - Why is it that we do not accept happily what we HAVE, rather than always feel discontent and disappointment at not having the things we lack. The lack is what comes to define and describe us and shapes who we are, it is what we do not hold that tells who we are than what we have.
I believe it starts as a conscious act which eventually becomes second nature to us, we are now raised to wail and complain, we find it acceptable to mourn and protest, we are taught to envy those who we believe to 'have' more than us. And in doing all this we undermine any chance of happiness, bliss and content in our own lives.
If we simply take what we have as abundant, as enough, as plenty our mental and emotional health will get a boost. We will begin to focus on what 'is', rather than what 'may be.' I do not mean to think of starvation and serious lack of economic resources, or ill-health as a mere act of perception that can be tuned to alter the view, I mean when we ostensibly have enough of things both material and immaterial such as good health, a good job, good family relations, a suitable wardrobe, a nice house etc. we ought to count our blessings, and retrain ourselves by being satisfied with our lot. We must begin to understand the fact that by adding 'things' in our life will not change the life we have. In fact the more we acquire, the less it makes us happy - the economic 'law of diminishing returns' comes into play - with each addition giving us lesser satisfaction.
We also experience feelings of inadequacy, of not being good enough, of not doing enough, we feel guilty for not performing our roles in society to the fullest, we feel hunger (mental/spiritual), we feel lonely. All these feelings of ineffectiveness, of ineffectualness, a looming sense of failing at all in life are marks of modern individuals. What is that unattainable 'ideal' that we are continually pitching ourselves against? why are we always looking to measure up to some unknown, undefinable, effusive, transient - but nonetheless very real - bench mark. Why pray are we so cruel to ourselves?
When we begin to correct our visions, and take off our eyes from the distant horizon and look close, before, around, and under us, when we choose to situate ourselves in the NOW do we start to appreciate what we have in juxtaposition to what we don't. Enoughness asks for empathy, empathy towards our own selves, and for what we do in life, what we have in life and how far we go in life. We need to accept that we work hard enough, that we do enough for other people, that what we have in terms of material possessions is enough, that we are more good than bad, that another person's yardstick of how much is enough is never good enough, only then do we initiate a state of contentment and calm.
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