I have often found that one of the greatest challenges in being human is to find that point at which I have enough, or I am enough.

Think about the last time you were working toward a goal. Once you reached it, how did you feel? Likely triumphant…at least at first. But then comes creeping in this vague feeling of dissatisfaction or disappointment. The mountain has been climbed, the wave has been crested. Once you’ve planted your flag on the point of achievement, it’s actually a bit of a let-down.

And it’s all downhill from there. Unless, of course, we create a new goal to chase.

I’m not saying goals are bad things. In my coaching, helping people establish goals and creating a path to achieve them is a big part of my work. But if we’re pursuing goals thinking they will bring us happiness, we’ll never be happy.

Why?

Goal orientation alone creates and endless loop of seeking happiness outside of ourselves. The challenge with this approach is: the more you chase happiness, the faster it escapes you. It’s always out in the future somewhere, and nothing you do will ever be enough to create happiness.

In other words, you’ll never “achieve” quickly enough to catch it.

• What if we could just accept that what we have, or what we achieve, is enough?

• What if we can acknowledge that we’ve not only got enough, but that we are enough?

How marvelous might that be?

• No guilt

• No shame

• No pressure

Just joy.

Some people might call it complacency, but the fact is, what is the point of striving if we don’t bask in the glory of our achievements by simply saying, “Wow, that’s enough. In fact, it’s more than enough. I’m happy.”

This week, I encourage you to give some thought to where you’ve had enough, gotten enough, or simply are, enough.

To your happiness,

Gayle