Do You Have Enough “Enoughness”?
As a business coach/performance consultant I am really lucky that I get to work with all sorts of interesting people. They come from all walks of life, operating in a variety of roles – from the top of the tree to the lowest branches.
Some are exceptionally clever, with very impressive accolades to their names, and others left school before the age of 16! And yet, regardless of such apparent differences it seems that we are all united by what seems to be a very current phenomenon – one I am calling ‘enoughness’!
What is “Enoughness”?
Now, whilst we won’t find this word in any dictionary, we have all experienced it at our core. It comes from the questions we all ask after a tough day, in those hours that are most dark in the early morning:
- Am I good enough for this job?
- Am I good enough for my team to respect me?
- Am I a good enough parent?
- Am I good enough to deliver everything that is expected of me at work and at home?
- Am I beautiful enough, well-groomed enough, thin enough, clever enough, worthy enough…?
These questions generally lead to a drop in mood and potentially a drop in performance.
“Enoughness”, when we’re honest with ourselves, is something that we question – sometimes on a daily basis.
The Truth About “Enoughness”
These enoughness questions are actually completely pointless and cause us much trauma and angst. Pointless? Yes, because you just are… in the job you are in…. being a parent…..juggling time. And whether you consider you are good enough or not is irrelevant – if you are in a good mood then the question rarely arises and if you are not then this question holds much power.
So why do we go down this debilitating route?
Well, we have to understand how the system of the mind works, and not just at a cursory level where we parrot ‘I know this all comes from me.’ We have to really understand that when we question our enoughness we are believing our thoughts are our reality.
We forget that all thoughts are neutral until we overlay them with the emotion that comes from us!
So when it comes to enoughness… just being aware in the moment of how the mechanics of the mind are impacting us at least gives us an opportunity to let go of some of that angst and pain.
Surely this is an experiment worth carrying out? |
