Follow up Friday: Enough is Enough!

Monday I asked you to analyze your conditioning – to explore where your repetitive thought pattern comes from, what feelings you have about it and if it’s helpful or not. This a lot to think about!

A significant thought pattern I’ve worked with in my life is “the enoughs” (be enough, have enough, do enough). I received this message so many times from so many sources in my life. The message in my family growing up is we never had enough money. I grew up in an educational system that was always sending messages I wasn’t enough or didn’t measure up if I didn’t have all As on my report card. I grew up in a religion that said I wasn’t acceptable enough – I was born bad and I had to spend the rest of my life making up for it. I grew up in a culture that said I always need more things – more food, more toys, more friends, more of everything – to be okay – nothing was ever enough. I went to work for companies that said I didn’t work hard enough or do enough. I didn’t have to look to hard – I was flooded with this message of “not enough.” Wow. It’s quite a mental beating in a way.

How did this serve me? It always had me striving – maniacally driving myself – to do more, be more, have more. I am not a shopper but a collector of books, travel and educational experiences. I could never have enough knowledge or experience. Then one day, I realized how exhausting this was and why I was never satisfied with where I was at, or with myself.

I’ve been aware of, and have worked on this thought pattern for a quite a while now. It’s shifted substantially.

Well, I say now, enough IS enough! I can strive for more to an extent that works for me, not what society says. I can strive to be more of who I am meant to be, in a more sane way. I can accept myself just the way I am, thank you.

Monday, I will talk more about how to go deeper with shifting and releasing a repetitive thought pattern.

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