I have something really important to tell you. This will probably be the most important thing you read today. These three little words could be all you need to break through the barriers that are preventing you from attaining the freedom you deserve. Are you ready to uncover the truth?
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
No matter who you are or where your journey has taken you, you have everything you need to start taking the steps toward making your dreams come true. You’re smart enough to write that book. You’re talented enough to become a full-time designer. You’re fit enough to sign up for that half marathon. You’re worthy enough to get that promotion and you deserve the good things that come your way.
No matter who you are or where your journey has taken you, you have everything you need to start taking the steps toward making your dreams come true. Click To Tweet
Let me be honest with you.
I didn’t want to write this post. It’s been sitting in my idea box for weeks. I knew it would be helpful to many of my readers, but I didn’t want to go through the process of writing down my story.
By nature, I’m a pretty private person. I don’t talk about myself much. My best readers know more about me than my friends and family do. It might seem odd, but I learned from Susan Cain’s book, Quiet, that it’s a common trait among introverts.
The other night I was sitting on the floor in my office shredding stacks of old paperwork and a little strip of paper fell out. I flipped the strip over and it read, “Nobody holds a high opinion of a man who holds a low opinion of himself.” That phrase was the push I needed to tell you that …
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
If you get the impression that this idea began long before the mysterious strip of paper, you’re right. I mentioned in a previous post that each year when my husband, Jer, and I work on our goals, it gets increasingly more difficult.
When we had goals like paying off our mortgage, the answers to our problems were simple. Make more money and spend less.
The answers now are much more challenging and much more personal. The reasons Jer and I don’t achieve our goals today are due more to the narratives we tell ourselves than anything else.
As I contemplated why I hadn’t made progress toward some of my goals, I began to notice a theme emerge. I was telling myself, “I’m not smart enough. I’m not educated enough. I’m not experienced enough. I’m not enough.”
I immediately recognized the false nature of these statements. Deep down, we should know that we have what it takes. Yet we still get hung up on feelings of “not enough.”
Over the week’s I’ve pondered where these beliefs began. For many of us, they stem from some of our earliest memories. For some of us, it’s a parent who was never satisfied or a teacher who told us we don’t have what it takes. Maybe it was a coach who said we’d never amount to anything or even a misguided religious belief.
Over time these beliefs become so ingrained in us that sometimes we don’t even recognize they’re there. The problem is that these unrecognized narratives can prevent us from taking action and pursuing our dreams. We must begin to identify them if we want to change them. You must learn to believe that …
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
You Are Enough Click To TweetHave you ever struggled with “not enough?”
If you’re like me and you’re just identifying these narratives, I want you to know that you’re okay. It doesn’t have to define you. Changing your narrative takes time. It’s not all or nothing, take baby steps, and be patient with yourself.
TRY THESE EXERCISES RELIEVE THE FEELING OF “NOT ENOUGH.”
- Make a conscious effort not to internalize other’s behaviors toward you. More often than not, they are about the other person, not you. Don’t dwell on them for more than a moment.
- When fear and doubt try to take over, repeat the mantras, “I am enough,” and “I deserve this.”
- Try this Sweet Yoga Practice full of hugs and self-love.
- Experiment with one of Tara Brach’s guided meditations, specifically this one on Self-Compassion. If you can find 20 minutes, this Loving Kindness meditation is beautiful.
- If you’re looking to dig deeper into the topic, start with the book, The Big Leap. If you want more, I highly recommend Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach.
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
I sincerely mean it when I say that you are enough. Every human being is filled with unlimited potential, and that includes you. Just by showing up here today, you prove that you have what it takes to do anything you put your mind to. I believe in you and the world needs you to do the same. When you’re about to start something new and that little voice pops up to tell you that you’re not qualified, respond by repeating, “I am enough and I deserve this.”
When that voice pops into your head, respond by repeating, “I am enough and I deserve this.” Click To TweetHow have you overcome the feeling of not being enough?
Share in the comments below.
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Great post Holly and I am still working on it! I couldn’t even tell you where these false beliefs originated but I still hear that voice quite often. I have learned to be aware of it and to do it anyway (I learned that from Joyce Meyer!). It still surprises me when people are appreciative of something I share telling me they had no idea about it. I tend to devalue what I have to share feeling people already know all this – it always surprises me how many don’t. Thank you for being so open and sharing from your own experience.
Wow, Ann, you are so right on! Our gifts are so natural that I think we devalue them. I go round and round with Jer on this all the time. And he does the same to me. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could completely see ourselves from someone else’s perspective?
I think it’s a journey for most of us. I feel like I’m constantly digging things up. Slowly but surely I’m getting better. I always like to compare where I’m at today with where I was at a year ago. That usually helps put things in perspective.
Thanks again for sharing. I love when other people open up and share their experiences. It creates community and togetherness.
Beautiful post. I’m listening to my children and husband in the car right now repeating this over and over: “I am enough, and I deserve this.” This is what my family wanted to hear today – because even when life is great, sometimes we need the reminder that it’s beautiful, and so are we. Exactly as we are. Thank you for another amazing post. We’ll be doing the meditations later as well!
Thank you, Ashley. I had that wallpaper on my phone for a long time. Most of the messages we so on TV, magazines, social media is that we’re not enough. It’s a viscous cycle. You’re all amazing where you are right now. ❤️ Have a beautiful day!