Enough is Enough, Really

This week balance is on my mind, maybe because I am craving more of it in my life right now. The word balance is generically standing in here for the dance between taking myself and my stuff too seriously and not taking it seriously enough. I am struck lately by my observations of others and myself which lead me to, sorry-judgement here, conclude that most of us are taking ourselves way to seriously. Why is that? Is it because we are so insecure about what the future will bring we feel compelled to control every aspect of the present? We feel we need to justify our existence, our work, and our lives by ascribing omni-important status to all things us? So we wring our hands over things that in the big picture do not matter, we grab on to and defend positions that prop ourselves up by making others less than or wrong. I do not want all of that in my life. But then again, it is true that we have to get certain basic needs met thus requiring us to take things seriously enough.

Maybe the balancing point hinges on what is enough. Webster’s defines enough as “occurring in such quantity, quality, or scope as to fully meet demands, needs, or expectations” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enough). I would add desires in there too and other definitions do. Deciding what is enough gets tricky when enough is confused with more; more of course meaning something greater or additional. It seems like a lot of us on a basic level are seeking some peace with ourselves. Somewhere along the line though we got this idea that peace within ourselves somehow is equated to things, situations, people, ideas, and so on that are outside of ourselves. When enough did not bring us peace we strove for more.

What I want to say is enough is enough! Intrinsically you are enough, I am enough, my enough is not your enough and vice versa and that is okay. And, what is enough will change over the course of time, and that is okay too. Externally, enough is enough too. We probably all can think of people, situations, institutions, etc. that were no better off or happier with more. Find out what enough means to you. Be aware that you are already enough as you are. (Unfortunately I cannot figure out how to link to a facebook post here, but check out The Daily Buddha on FB for more.)  Externally, be conscious of what is enough, what is more, and how each may or may not serve you. Try really hard not to push what enough means to you on somebody else. I say all of this to me and to you as a reminder to lighten up, let yourself off the hook, and enjoy who you are and what you have without beating yourself up for more. Enough really is enough.