According to the Soul Sunday article sent out by Oprah, the two most dangerous words in the English language are “Not Enough.” The first thing that jumps to mind when seeing those words is physical – not enough money, not enough house, not enough cars. The danger trying to have enough that way can lead to crushing debt if done wrong. However just as dangerous is the mental “not enough” – not thin enough, not pretty enough, not good enough. These are things that suck our souls. They lead to despair and depression and given enough time can lead to unhealthy habits like constant fad dieting, unsuitable companions who feed the ego at first but never reach a level of partnership in the relationship, and the habit of unhealthy self criticism. In addition, according to the guest on Oprah, since 9/11/01 we have also added a level of fear to the refrain of “not enough.” We’ve seen that we aren’t safe and that has been cemented through the tough economic times of the past several years – deep down we know that everything we have could be lost in a moment.
The fear of loss forces us to wear masks in public, to hide the face of the stranger (as Billy Joel called it). But when we hide the vulnerability we cut off part of ourselves and we limit our access to creativity. We lock away the part that would allow us to expand and reach and try things we’ve never tried. We need to push past the fear, realize it’s okay to fail, open ourselves to possibilities – all the clichés used by motivational speakers which wouldn’t keep cropping up if they weren’t true. Find the part that feels you are not enough, admit that it may be right in that area and decide if it is worth taking the time to improve but look at all the other areas where not only are you enough but you have abundance to share. Move past the scarcity mentality and reach for the blessings the universe has prepared for you. Good things come when we ask for them.