The meaning of enough is something we all ‘feel’ but few can define. What is the definition of enough? Enough is subjective, and means different things to different people. It can also mean something different to us, personally, on different days. So many times I’ve thrown my hands into the air and said, “I’VE HAD ENOUGH!!!” Other times, I’ve pushed back my dessert plate knowing I’d had enough. Still, there are other times I didn’t have enough hours in the day, enough energy for the task at hand, or enough will power to reach a goal.
I have really given a lot of thought to the meaning of enough. What is enough? It can’t necessarily be measured, but we all know when we’ve reached that point. One evening after John and I were out with friends for dinner, I sat there thinking to myself, “I’ve had just about enough of this.” There wasn’t anything wrong with the conversation, or the atmosphere, or the food. It was all very pleasant. But something about the whole situation left me feeling like I needed to measure up, or keep up, or impress. As we drove home I continued thinking about the idea of enough. I stayed awake a lot that night thinking it over. Here are some life-changing realizations I came to.
What is enough?
Knowing the meaning of enough for yourself is a very powerful thing. It is also a very defining thing. For me, it was a life-changing thing. If you asked someone how much sleep is enough for them, you would get varied answers. Some need six hours, others seven, some need eight or more. The idea of enough is relative to them.
If you ask someone how much exercise they believe to be enough, the answer is going to depend on the person and their activity level. Some will want to run 10+ miles a day, others will be happy with a thirty-minute walk. Then, others may have a very detailed routine they follow in order to feel like they’ve done enough.
The idea of enough can’t be easily measured. It depends on the individual, and what they hope to achieve.
The negative meaning of enough
As I spent that evening contemplating the meaning of enough, I could easily think of a lengthy list of enoughs I wanted to rid myself of. Here are the things I wanted to say “enough” to:
- Perfection
- Striving
- Over-doing
- Fatigue and
- Frustration
I have struggled for a long time with perfection; always wanting to do a thing perfectly or not at all. In fact, I have held others to these standards, as well. I have spent years striving for perfection, over-doing until I reached fatigue, only to end up in a state of frustration.
And so, for me, this idea of enough was the negative version. The throw your hands up in the air and scream, “Enough is Enough!!!” It was an unhealthy place for me to be, and I frequently found myself there.
The positive meaning of enough
With all of these negative meanings of enough floating in my head, I also had to take responsibility for some of this. I know the things I’m supposed to do, the things that are good for me: Things like drinking enough water, getting enough sunshine, getting enough fresh air, getting enough sleep, and getting enough exercise.
The equation of enough was still vague though. How much is enough sleep? How much is enough sunshine and fresh air? How much is enough exercise? The answers came after some very intentional thinking. We can make important changes to our lives by saying yes to the right things, and no to the right things.
Enough sleep for me is around six hours. I feel my best right at six hours every night. Six hours is enough sleep for me. Thirty minutes of walking plus twenty minutes of moderate strength training is enough exercise for me. If the weather is nice, I take my daily walk outdoors; if weather is inclimate, I hit the gym. If I get five out of seven days, then I’ve done enough exercise for the week. I also aim for 60 oz of water every day. For me, that is enough.
What is the meaning of enough – for you?
This idea has been so life changing for me. When I find myself having a bad day, I can look at my definitions and list of enough and ask myself, “Am I getting enough of the good things?” or “Am I falling back into the detrimental habits of enough?” Am I doing too much of the bad enoughs, and not getting enough of the good enoughs? What this has led me to is a tracker list – every day I ask myself, if I did enough of the things that are good for me, and did I say “enough” to over-doing, striving, and frustrating myself by doing too much. Are these ‘enoughs’ helping me be the person I want to be?
There are so many pressures on us to do enough, be enough, be productive enough… As we start this new phase of our life journey, I want to be sure I’m focusing on the good enoughs – and letting go of the bad enoughs. It is said the only things we will regret are the things we didn’t do. I don’t want to spend my life striving for perfection and rob myself the joy of doing what I want to do – simply because I chased the wrong enoughs…
What are your enoughs? What is enough sleep, water, exercise, sunshine, and fresh air for you? Likewise, what are some things you need to say “enough is enough” to? What things do you need to limit, give up, or restrict for your own well-being? What things do you want to say yes to? Where and how can you start?
