Enough, satisfactory, adequate, and other human degrees of measurement. These terms are all variable, depending on whom you ask to define them, whether it be a trillionaire or a beggar. These terms are never stable but shift in definition over time. We are never satisfied with the status quo of things, whatever they refer to - be it $$$, power, possessions, lifestyle, appearance, whatever... Humanity is always seeking change, improvement, etc. So I guess this comment rambling has gone on long "enough". 😏
100% Rob! It was interesting to try and quantify the idea of enough, but I landed in much the same place — they're ever-changing and entirely open to individual interpretation and circumstance. It's been a fun thing to ponder though!
I think you’re so right, enough is a messy term and it SHOULD be. There needs to be room for ambiguity; something can be enough and you can still want more. I am good enough AND I want to grow. I think you need both. If it were only the latter, you’d be paralysed by the feeling of not good enoughness, resulting in stagnation rather than growth. And sometimes you’d like more, but it’s more beneficial to simply be content with what you have and see that as enough.
There’s funnily enough (no pun intended 😅) lots of overlap between your piece and a letter I posted last week. It’s about imagining a perfect life, that this gets in the way of actually enjoying the present, and about the reconciliation of purpose and mindfulness — how having a goal (not the achievement of it) can enable you to enjoy the present 🧡 It’s here in case you’re interested: https://open.substack.com/pub/beginneratlife/p/the-perils-of-imagining-a-perfect?r=2e3bq7&utm_medium=ios
I couldn't agree more Philippine! I guess the thing I am trying to embrace is exactly as you say — being okay with the messy, changability of it all. Here's to us trying to find it! 💚💚
Wonderfully written Brooke....I nearly fell into tears when you reminded me "I am enough"... been a tough week and it was a timely reminder to be more gentle with myself with my health being unsteady.
There is way too much pressure these days to make sure you are doing more than enough. Realistically, I believe, we would be so much better off listening a whole lot more to what are hearts say instead of our brain!
Thanks again Brooke...you are enough too..just as you are🧡
Thanks so much for sharing this Lynette. I hope you're able to find some gentleness over the weekend. And thank you for your beautiful words too — they've hit me right where I needed them 💚💚💚
Oh I love all of this! The Oscar Wilde quote and "the measure"! What a compassionate way of viewing it, and hte fact that the measure can always change. 💚💚
As someone whose entire Substack is about looking at and explore what enough means, I feel like you've summarized my body of work 😂 But I'm all seriousness, what you mention about values feels so spot on. Enough feels intangible because there's so much nuance as it requires we look within. At least that's where my ramblings have taken me to so far.
I'm with you, Sarah. I think the more I understand all the ways my values can and do show up, the less certain some things feel (like measuring enough) and the more certain others do (like finding that feeling). I'm digging deep into values these days and a, probably landing in a very similar position to you! 💚
Enough for me is mostly a peaceful feeling, relaxing, leaning back. Also the idea that I don’t need to DO anything about that thing/area of life, it’s just fine, no effort needed from me.
On my commute to work in my car I was excited as always to listen to you Brooke. Why is it that we often doubt ourselves and question our worth as a good caring and kind person? I am soaking in the belief that I am enough….I am living the best I can with what I know and understand.
A recent mindfulness meditation invited me to say to myself “I love you. I am listening.” It helps me to feel I am enough. We all are. Thanks so much Brooke I appreciate you.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing that Cathy. I know it's such a common human experience and yet somehow seems the loneliest feeling in the whole world. I appreciate you too and will let those words, "I love you. I am listening." roll over me all weekend. Right back at you too. 💚💚
Enough was a big topic for us when we were looking at houses. There are so many houses on the market that are 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom are are just too much. We went with a 3 bedroom house but we did it because my partner places a high value on a fitness routine for his mental and physical health so 1 bedroom is a home gym. The other spare room is going to be used for us to foster kittens and cats, which is something I have loved doing in the past because it fills a need in the community and it's a great way to give back. Plus kittens are super cute 🤣
You might like an episode of the Futuresteading podcast with Jane Hilliard which is all about the concept of 'enoughness'. I really enjoyed it when I listened to it last year.
Ooh, that is such a good example Candice! There's those things that are technically excess to needs, but very much necessary for well being or peace of mind and I think it's a mistake to think of those things as excessive. I'm so glad you landed in a space (literally!) that works so well for you. It's been a joy to watch it unfold over the past few months 💚💚
I did spend a while after posting my comment thinking that 3 bedrooms does still sound very excessive for 2 people but we really struggled to find anything that was 1 or 2 bedrooms that wasn't an apartment or just as expensive as a 3 bedroom place. The market just doesn't really accommodate for it sadly
Just started morning with a cuppa before work listening to this Brooke. Thank you. Like others, I think enough is a very slippery word even to just ponder! So whilst pondering I shall focus my day on living well. 😁
It IS a slippery word isn't it? Perfect way to describe it. I'm so glad to have you here, Jan, picking up my ponderings and running with them. I hope you have a really lovely weekend 💚💚💚
The timing of this! Came right at the end of my working day and what a welcome arrival. I really enjoyed reading this, Brooke. Thank you! (I have many agreements, comments, thoughts etc.) but I just wanted to extend my thanks and that feels enough 💙.
Thanks Julia! I took it on a crappy little point and shoot film camera in 2004 and it is still one of my favourite photos. I remember that feeling of awe and wonder like it was yesterday, not 20 years ago. 💚💚
For me having enough has to do with finding your place in the world, your people, your fertile soil, your happy refuge, a place where you dare to imagine new worlds and explore new possibilities.
Enough. What a hard metric to measure. It’s so personal. Enough is skating the thin line between scarcity and over abundance, in what we have, what we value and what we do.
Enough, satisfactory, adequate, and other human degrees of measurement. These terms are all variable, depending on whom you ask to define them, whether it be a trillionaire or a beggar. These terms are never stable but shift in definition over time. We are never satisfied with the status quo of things, whatever they refer to - be it $$$, power, possessions, lifestyle, appearance, whatever... Humanity is always seeking change, improvement, etc. So I guess this comment rambling has gone on long "enough". 😏
100% Rob! It was interesting to try and quantify the idea of enough, but I landed in much the same place — they're ever-changing and entirely open to individual interpretation and circumstance. It's been a fun thing to ponder though!
I think you’re so right, enough is a messy term and it SHOULD be. There needs to be room for ambiguity; something can be enough and you can still want more. I am good enough AND I want to grow. I think you need both. If it were only the latter, you’d be paralysed by the feeling of not good enoughness, resulting in stagnation rather than growth. And sometimes you’d like more, but it’s more beneficial to simply be content with what you have and see that as enough.
There’s funnily enough (no pun intended 😅) lots of overlap between your piece and a letter I posted last week. It’s about imagining a perfect life, that this gets in the way of actually enjoying the present, and about the reconciliation of purpose and mindfulness — how having a goal (not the achievement of it) can enable you to enjoy the present 🧡 It’s here in case you’re interested: https://open.substack.com/pub/beginneratlife/p/the-perils-of-imagining-a-perfect?r=2e3bq7&utm_medium=ios
I couldn't agree more Philippine! I guess the thing I am trying to embrace is exactly as you say — being okay with the messy, changability of it all. Here's to us trying to find it! 💚💚
Wonderfully written Brooke....I nearly fell into tears when you reminded me "I am enough"... been a tough week and it was a timely reminder to be more gentle with myself with my health being unsteady.
There is way too much pressure these days to make sure you are doing more than enough. Realistically, I believe, we would be so much better off listening a whole lot more to what are hearts say instead of our brain!
Thanks again Brooke...you are enough too..just as you are🧡
Thanks so much for sharing this Lynette. I hope you're able to find some gentleness over the weekend. And thank you for your beautiful words too — they've hit me right where I needed them 💚💚💚
Thanks Brooke! This post made me think of the famous Oscar Wilde quote: Everything in moderation, including moderation ; )
In my philosophy group we talk about "the measure" for the present moment or situation, so it always changes, and that's okay xo
PS Love the be the thermostat quote.
Oh I love all of this! The Oscar Wilde quote and "the measure"! What a compassionate way of viewing it, and hte fact that the measure can always change. 💚💚
As someone whose entire Substack is about looking at and explore what enough means, I feel like you've summarized my body of work 😂 But I'm all seriousness, what you mention about values feels so spot on. Enough feels intangible because there's so much nuance as it requires we look within. At least that's where my ramblings have taken me to so far.
I'm with you, Sarah. I think the more I understand all the ways my values can and do show up, the less certain some things feel (like measuring enough) and the more certain others do (like finding that feeling). I'm digging deep into values these days and a, probably landing in a very similar position to you! 💚
Enough for me is mostly a peaceful feeling, relaxing, leaning back. Also the idea that I don’t need to DO anything about that thing/area of life, it’s just fine, no effort needed from me.
Oh I love this Orsi — you've summed up the feelings so perfectly. A leaning back is exactly it! Thank you 💚💚💚
On my commute to work in my car I was excited as always to listen to you Brooke. Why is it that we often doubt ourselves and question our worth as a good caring and kind person? I am soaking in the belief that I am enough….I am living the best I can with what I know and understand.
A recent mindfulness meditation invited me to say to myself “I love you. I am listening.” It helps me to feel I am enough. We all are. Thanks so much Brooke I appreciate you.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing that Cathy. I know it's such a common human experience and yet somehow seems the loneliest feeling in the whole world. I appreciate you too and will let those words, "I love you. I am listening." roll over me all weekend. Right back at you too. 💚💚
Enough was a big topic for us when we were looking at houses. There are so many houses on the market that are 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom are are just too much. We went with a 3 bedroom house but we did it because my partner places a high value on a fitness routine for his mental and physical health so 1 bedroom is a home gym. The other spare room is going to be used for us to foster kittens and cats, which is something I have loved doing in the past because it fills a need in the community and it's a great way to give back. Plus kittens are super cute 🤣
You might like an episode of the Futuresteading podcast with Jane Hilliard which is all about the concept of 'enoughness'. I really enjoyed it when I listened to it last year.
Ooh, that is such a good example Candice! There's those things that are technically excess to needs, but very much necessary for well being or peace of mind and I think it's a mistake to think of those things as excessive. I'm so glad you landed in a space (literally!) that works so well for you. It's been a joy to watch it unfold over the past few months 💚💚
I did spend a while after posting my comment thinking that 3 bedrooms does still sound very excessive for 2 people but we really struggled to find anything that was 1 or 2 bedrooms that wasn't an apartment or just as expensive as a 3 bedroom place. The market just doesn't really accommodate for it sadly
Just started morning with a cuppa before work listening to this Brooke. Thank you. Like others, I think enough is a very slippery word even to just ponder! So whilst pondering I shall focus my day on living well. 😁
It IS a slippery word isn't it? Perfect way to describe it. I'm so glad to have you here, Jan, picking up my ponderings and running with them. I hope you have a really lovely weekend 💚💚💚
The timing of this! Came right at the end of my working day and what a welcome arrival. I really enjoyed reading this, Brooke. Thank you! (I have many agreements, comments, thoughts etc.) but I just wanted to extend my thanks and that feels enough 💙.
Thanks, Julianna! You made my morning. So glad it hit home for you 💚💚💚
Thanks for this letter, much for me to chew over this weekend. And lovely seeing your photo! The snow one is magic 🩵
Thanks Julia! I took it on a crappy little point and shoot film camera in 2004 and it is still one of my favourite photos. I remember that feeling of awe and wonder like it was yesterday, not 20 years ago. 💚💚
For me having enough has to do with finding your place in the world, your people, your fertile soil, your happy refuge, a place where you dare to imagine new worlds and explore new possibilities.
Enough. What a hard metric to measure. It’s so personal. Enough is skating the thin line between scarcity and over abundance, in what we have, what we value and what we do.