Let’s forget the fear of not enough. For you will never be enough for the wrong people, the wrong job, the wrong path, the wrong place, the wrong time. You will never be enough for the things that are not right for you.
Sounds simple, right, yet it’s not.
The concept of not enough is something that affects most, if not all, humans. In fact, our pets probably have this fear this just as we do. It is a natural feeling and most often is not recognized by many, until it is. One day it smacks you in the face… I didn’t get the leading job coming out of business school because I am not enough, I didn’t keep the man of my dreams because I am not enough for him, I didn’t get the house because I am single- therefor not enough. Not enough smacks you right in the face, and causes your stomach to hop into your throat. Not enough are two words that have the power to bring you to your knees.
I got so used to the not enough feeling, I became numb to it entirely. So numb that when others talked openly about feeling as though they were not enough, I immediately removed myself from that idea and conversation. I believed I was enough. Until I realized, running in the opposite direction from not enough was a very blatant sign- a slap to the face and hop of the belly.
We need to be more open to supporting ourselves in this way, and stop relying on the Tiara Effect to allow us to feel as though we are enough. The Tiara Effect is described as waiting for someone to reward you for your efforts with a tiara. The tiara being the piece that makes you feel as though your thoughts, efforts, work, and emotions were indeed enough for the receiving party.
One of my favorite quotes reads:
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any” -Alice Walker
I have the power over the fear of not enough, and so do you. That is, if you choose to recognize when this fear arises. You have the power to crumple the idea of not enough and slam dunk it, as though you are Lebron James, into the trash can. So I challenge you to join me in crumpling the fear of not enough, I challenge you to join me in living each day as though the boundaries of not enough did not exist. Take your power back and ask yourself: what would I do if the fear of not being enough didn’t exist?
Whatever your answer is, I beg you to go do that, for there is only so much time. Don’t waste time sinking in the quicksand of not enough.
Scare Your Soul, Challenge yourself. I promise you won’t regret it. www.scareyoursoul.com
Originally published at medium.com