Getting rid of the "Enoughs"

Image Credit ~ The Healthy Maiden

"If you are of of those rare and fortunate people who already experience your body as perfect exactly as it is, with all its foibles and strengths, then you already embraced the lesson of acceptance and can fast forward to the next lesson. However, if any small part of you believes that you would be happier if you were thinner, taller, larger, firmer, blonder, stronger, or some other physical alteration you think would magically transform your life for the better, then you might want to spend some time learning about the value of true acceptance.

Acceptance is the act of embracing what life presents to you with a good attitude. Our bodies are among the most willing and wise teachers of this lesson. It can be like an ever-present benevolent guide or a lifelong cross you bear. The decision is yours based on how well you learn this lesson.

For many people, their body is the target for their harshest judgment and the barometer by which they measure their self worth. They hold themselves up to an unattainable standard and berate themselves for coming up short of perfection. Since your physical shape is the form in which you show up in the world, it is very often the way you define yourself, and often the way others define you."  ~Andrew Adler

This was a very long quote and I wasn't sure I wanted to include it, but its message is very appropriate.  Mr. Adler is referring specifically to body image (which is a common thread in the acceptance literature), but his quote can be universal.  What he is really talking about is recognizing and dealing with the "enoughs."  You know what I am talking about.  In the past 24 hours, how many times have you even thought for a second, "I'm not _____________ enough!" (good, smart, thin, tall, talented, etc...).  Anytime you think or say this sentence, you are not practicing self-acceptance.  The moment that we start the comparison mentality (and that is truly what this is) we are allowing our self-worth to be defined by a comparison to an external concept we cannot control.  The next time you say/think an enough statement, (ex. "I am not thin enough).  Think about this, what ideal are you comparing yourself to?  Who is enough?  What embodies your vision of enough?  Realize that we are setting an unrealistic vision of perfection and in reality, we are almost never capable to reaching the mark we set for ourselves in our "enough statement."

Cheerful Acceptance gives us the freedom to be rid of our "enough" shackles.  It allows us the space to accept who we are and realize the only "enough" that should matter.  It is the "I am enough".  I accept who I am and who I am is enough, I am worthy!  Getting rid of the "enoughs" is not an easy journey and it is not accomplished overnight, but you can start today.  The next time you find yourself think, "I am not ___________ enough."  Unshackle Yourself, and replace that thought with I am enough!  Just start with once...and then work to repeat the process.

Have a GREAT day!