Many times in life we wonder why others seem to have it easier than us. Our minds race over what we can do about it. Sometimes we might even feel a little jealous about it. Other times, wanting more becomes a trap: a bigger car, a bigger house, longer and more expensive vacations. Reality is, having enough is a mind set. The conviction of having enough comes with the training of the mind and awareness. No way around it.
The sense of not enough permeates all areas of our lives. Do we have enough money? Do we have enough time? Do we have enough fun? Do we have enough friends? The list can be very long.
We seem to live in the era of "more is better." But, wait a minute, is more always better?
Do we need that fourth pair of new shoes this year? Do we really need a fifth pair of boots? Or, is it absolutely necessary to get those $300 jeans? Do we want to pay for and collect things we never use and end up giving away for pennies at a garage sale or donating it? Do we even want all that clutter?
Awareness is the first step toward realizing that we have enough. We will always have enough as long as we structure our lives around what we have built and what we have and can afford.
At a financial level, it might mean keeping a watchful eye on all purchases we make. It is easy to forget that unless we pay the credit card balance in full every month, carrying a balance incurs a very high financial cost via monthly interest. If we are instead referring to not having enough fun, we might want to consider what truly makes us feel happy. Is it a quiet walk in the mountains? Having friends over for dinner? By the way, having friends over for dinner does not mean you have to spend a lot of money and stress over it. A simple dinner together will do. Even buying take out might do. What matters is the time spent together and the intention.
How about not enough down time or free time? Cutting minutes here and there will help. Perhaps watching less TV or spending less time on electronic devices will provide more time to decompress and recharge. Sometimes saying no to events we are invited to is the best way to get centered and find that so treasured free time. We live in days when we seem to always be on the go and when nobody wants to be seen as the slow poke.
However, it is important to always put yourself first when it comes to rest and finding quiet time to release stress. Whenever one member of the family is stressed out and all over the place, surely everybody else in the family will notice it and likely be affected negatively.
Not enough peace of mind? Find a hobby, yoga or meditation class where you can empty your mind out. Take a couple of breaths and try again! It might start slowly, but the transformative power of mindful practices and activities has been documented by many studies.
Having enough is finding meaning in life. Finding the true meaning in the simple things in life. Think of a warm hug, a photo of your significant other, child, grandchild or pet. Spending more quality time with loved ones, keeping things simple and pondering if we really need to make that next purchase will help us walk in life a little more lightly and with less and less baggage over time.
