I am Enough
Grace McGeehan explores how we can all learn to realise, recognise and accept our true, inherent value, exactly as we are. Say it loud and say it proud: I am enough!
Reading time: 4 minutes
Have you ever felt like you’re not enough?
Not clever enough? Not confident enough? Not pretty enough? Not successful enough? Not popular enough? Not funny enough? Not hardworking enough? Not tall enough? Not small enough? Not cool enough? Not rich enough? Not sociable enough? I could go on and on and on…and on!
Or perhaps you’ve felt you aren’t achieving enough — and perhaps you know deep down that you could be achieving so much more?
The feeling of ‘not being enough’ is such a phenomenon in the modern era and so much more common than you may realise. Throughout my career, I’ve worked closely with hundreds of people from a variety of backgrounds, ages, jobs and genders, and the common thread amongst them all is the thought, belief or feeling: “I am not enough.”
Things that have happened to us in the past, what we see on social media and societal pressures all contribute to these feelings we have. They lead us to perceive ourselves in a certain way, which ultimately impacts our relationship with ourselves and the recurring mindset that we are not enough.
The ‘not enough’ mindset is one built around a sense of lack, as opposed to an abundant one. It can lead to a sort of empty void within us, meaning we turn to things outside of ourselves like food, alcohol, money or whatever it may be, to find some comfort or fill the empty void. But this never makes us feel better; rather it leaves us much worse off.
Imagine if you were to really and truly, from a deep place, believe and know that you are enough. You may or may not have heard of the quote: “The chances of you being born is one in 400 trillion.” If not, read it again and let it sink in. When I first heard this, I was blown away. Isn’t it amazing? The chances of you being here, existing today, as you are, is one in 400 trillion! You are nothing short of a miracle — without doing anything! You are unique, special, worthy and ‘enough’. Just as you are. And this has always been the case.
Things that may have happened to us in the past are likely to be what causes our feelings of not being enough in the present day. But, they happened to the child version of you, not the adult you. The child who responded to certain scenes or events based on what they knew at that time, and started to think, believe and feel that they weren’t enough, weren’t worthy, weren’t deserving, or that something was wrong with them. These thoughts, beliefs and feelings started at such a young age and were repeated over and over again into adulthood, which is why they may be so prominent and loud.
But as the adult you are today, you know so much more than you did back then. You have more wisdom and knowledge, so you can go back and review what happened in the past to rationalise and process it, realising that the child you was never not enough and there was nothing wrong with them.
It is so important to go back and address what may have caused you to not feel enough. With this understanding you can go on the journey of feeling enough. You can start letting go of old negative habits or thoughts, and welcome new positive, kind and compassionate habits and thoughts to yourself that will support you on the journey of feeling enough.
Repeating these new ways of thinking about yourself and new belief systems over and over again will make them stronger and more dominant in your mind, whilst releasing the fundamental, underlying belief, that you are not enough.
Steps to feeling enough
- Understanding the importance of your relationship with yourself, so you can start to make it a positive and healthy one.
- Connecting to your inner sparkle and, with this, aligning with your higher self.
- Looking into the past and how it may have affected you, and led to any belief or feeling of not being enough.
- Understanding the inner critic a little better, where your critic came from and how it makes you feel, so you can start to do the work to not let it have so much power or control over you.
- Realise the important truth that everything you need is within you.
- Building a daily routine of tools and techniques that help you navigate life’s inevitable challenges and, through it all, feel enough.
The above are just some of the things we can start to think about and put into practice when it comes to feeling enough. However, it is not an overnight fix. It will take time, practice (and lots of it), patience and a deep feeling of trust in yourself that you can get there. Because you can. There may be times that you’ll slip up along the way and perhaps slip back into old ways of thinking about yourself (aka I’m not enough). During such times, it’s so important to offer up kindness and compassion to yourself, rather than criticism and berating yourself. Speaking to yourself like you would your best friend, your child or your partner.
The real question is though: are you ready to feel enough?
Grace McGeehan’s new ebook, ‘You Are Enough’, will guide you on this journey, with each chapter taking you through a theme, carefully ordered in a way to help readers through the process. Each chapter is an important piece of the puzzle towards feeling worthy and valued. Following each chapter is room for self-reflection, with relevant meditations or visualisations and journalling exercises to work through. These are designed to equip readers with some of the most effective tools and techniques the author has used, often with life changing results. To get your copy visit: gracemcgeehan.com or Instagram @gracemcgeehan
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
