When Enough is Enough

When is enough enough?

I am overwhelmed by all the crazy messages of “buy this, own that, travel here, live there, look this way… you’ll be happy.”

Really?

Seriously… it’s hard to imaging a day when you feel you have arrived; you have enough.  Enough money.  Enough stuff.  Enough sleep.  Enough time.  Sometimes it’s hard to sleep!  I’ve given up comparing my house, clothes, stuff, etc. to others, but the people in my life are still working on the quest of “enough.”

I finally gave it up when I realized a life of comparing myself to others led to feelings of embarrassment, inferiority, and sometime, anger.  That constant pursuit of more was not helping me be happy nor satisfied.

Jim Carey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do anything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

He is one of the last people I can think of to be right.  After all, he is rich and famous and most likely has not been “wanting” much in his life.  That doesn’t change the fact that I think he is right.

The truth is, if I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and regular source of income, I am blessed beyond measure.

See… I had to (and often still need to) retrain my focus.  I needed to seek out the silence, turn off the music or TV, and be still.  Seriously!  My brain is constantly receiving information which leaves me no room to create.  I needed time to day dream, to imagine, to ponder and think things through.  Those moments of silence, moments of clarity, allow me to tap into the depths of my soul.  I can make sense of my experiences.  I can empathize with others.  I can creative.  In silence I am able to reflect on what truly brings happiness.

Life became more satisfying!

I also changed how I looked at food.  I freed myself from chemically processed foods and focused on whole foods.  I began to see that my ancestors didn’t have it all bad with their whole wheat homemade bread and their garden vegetables.  The connection between my physical and mental health and the food I eat become increasingly clear.  My mood improved.  I felt better.

Life became more satisfying!

Everyone has a little bit of creativity within them.  You just have to discover it!  I dove into my creativity, creating sets, lesson plans, curriculum, productions, new recipes, new crochet projects.  Through being creative I found that I could reduce stress, improve my brain functions and boost my mood.

Life become more satisfying!

I added blogging.  I find blogging very therapeutic.  I just tell my story… in the process I am processing life and coming to a better understanding of myself.  The act of writing has helped me to see how much I have grown and achieved over time.  Writing has helped my make a plan for what I want to do next.

Life become more satisfying!

I started looking for ways to spread kindness.  Click here to see what #bethelight is all about.  Looking for ways to be kind and to serve others helped me to see my blessings.  It has changed my focus.  My gratitude has increased.  I am more thankful to be alive.  I more thankful for what I have been given.

Life become more satisfying!

I have a few more ideas of how to gain more satisfaction in life.  Soon I will begin working on those ideas… ideas like: giving up paying for anything with credit, buying quality not quantity, down sizing in the house (getting rid of things that are not useful or truly beautiful), and buy more flowers (I love flowers!)

Life is as satisfying as I choose to make it!