You Are Enough
For only 3 payments of $19.95, you too can have a body like this personal trainer that works out 18 hours a day, but with this $400 value package dropped to $60 for the next 15 seconds only - you not only can look like this personal trainer but you will only have to do 1/8th of the work. Don’t miss this opportunity because you lack a good body and the only way you will be loved is if you look like this personal trainer.
For only $600 a month you can finally have all the proof you need to show the world that you can afford this super awesome car that will be worth nothing in 5 years - but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered - don’t actually buy the worthless car. No no, why do that. You can lease from us and we’ll give you a free upgrade minus a few admin charges every 2 years. Struggling to keep up with the Jones’s? We can help you there. For a limited time only we’ll pay - did you hear me? We’ll pay for 1 whole month of your car payment. That’s right. So what are you waiting for? You aren’t truly successful until you have an expensive car payment and you will never be loved without showing off your success.
Every single day. We are bombarded with ads telling us that we’re not enough. Our entire lives have been structured around this very sad lie and it’s been ingrained before we even knew how to speak. We are in a constant search of how to be better or we look for costumes that make it appear we are better. We rarely let anyone see who we are because to tell the truth, most of us don’t want to actually face that truth. We’re imperfect beings that are largely looking to understand what our purpose is while in a constant flood of marketing telling us we need more and society comes to a social agreement that this is true. This in turn reminds us each and every day that we are not enough.
Imagine for a moment - what life could be like - if we realized flaws and all - we are enough. What if the excruciating judgement we pour on ourselves and project on to others were to be stopped before the thought made it to full consciousness? If we actually believed we were enough how could that change our relationships? How could that increase our ability to love?
Years ago I watched this documentary that fascinated me. To this day, I think of the power that I saw words actually have over not just humans, but even water. Affirmations are not just self help mumbo jumbo - they are a release of positive energy triggering your body to react to them whether it was said with conviction or not. When I was a little girl I used to get really sad a lot. I didn’t know how to handle all the feelings that were rather overwhelming but I’ll never forget my aunt’s valuable lesson. We were in the bathroom and she was getting ready. She said sometimes you just look in the mirror and say something silly and laugh. Then you’ll feel better. I tried it and it felt weird but it worked. So I started using this practice for like EVERYTHING. I sat in front of the mirror and pretended the face looking back was the person I needed to tell all the things I didn’t say when they were mean to me on the playground. And then I’d cry and watch my tears and my face and I ached for myself as I saw how sad I was. And then I was kind to that face. I told her good and loving things - and I started to feel better. And Of course I finished it with a good silly laugh. But let me tell you - as I got a little older - the kind words became foreign and I just said the kind things despite not believing myself at all. And miraculously, I still would end up feeling better and after many weeks of saying it, I finally believed it. Stuart Smalley was on to something.
Look, it’s easy to fall into the trap of humility that is actually self deprecation. You can be humble and still love yourself. In fact you must love yourself in order to love others. On the plane they say to put on your oxygen mask before helping small children or others. They don’t say this because they value your life over others. They say this because if you don’t take care of you first, you won’t have the ability to help others. So next time you’re faced with the feeling that you’re not enough whether it’s what you feel is coming from another person or if it’s coming from your Instagram - just take a moment - tell yourself that you are enough. Even in your brokenness. Even in your failures. Even in your wins. Even in your hurt. Even in your hurt to others. You are enough and the sooner you accept that you are, you might just be able to help a few others put on their oxygen masks.