You are enough. Enough is not a minimum benchmark, it is not mediocrity, it is simply a state of being, a contentment with existence, a satisfaction with yourself. I never wanted to settle for enough, I always wanted it all, wanted more, could never get enough. With that ethos, I set out to trample the world. Now, I am the one feeling trampled. These words are for you and maybe also for me and definitely also for all of those that feel that they are not enough.
You might feel sad, but you are happy enough. This does not mean that you are always happy or even happy most of the time. You are happy enough for the circumstances in which you find yourself. You need not wear a false smile in order to please others; your happiness is yours and yours alone. Living in a place where everyone is expected to be constantly happy is pressure that you need not feel. Perpetual happiness is a quixotic endeavor with tremendous consequences for its inevitable failure.
You may feel weak, but you are tough enough. You take it upon yourself to fight off all of the demons, you self-flagellate when you cannot defeat their formidable number. Your strength is incredible, your resilience is mind-boggling, your toughness cannot be questioned. You can be vulnerable, you can feel fear, you can talk about your worries, you can cry when it all gets to be too much. A tear does not betray a lack of toughness, it signals the humanity that dwells in all of us. You are not actually an alien.
You may feel ugly, but you are pretty enough. What a tremendous understatement! To look at you is to gaze into the depths of beauty, even on the bad hair day or when you have pimples on your chin. You are objectively gorgeous, but that is irrelevant. It is more important for you to understand that you are pretty enough, that you are not subject to an impossible standard imposed from some external source.
You may feel puzzled, but you are smart enough. Genius is a curse, education comes in many forms, standardized tests do not a smart person make. You captivate with your wisdom. You see the world in a fashion unique to you, you exercise judgment that is far beyond your years. Mistakes are made, errors lamented, but that does not remove your intelligence. Your brain is a marvel and something from which I have learned so much.
You do not need another, you are drunk enough. Caught up in the moment and wracked with stress, you and I may choose to imbibe too much, but to only nefarious ends. A beer in the sunshine with friends is enough. Late nights at the bar will never be enough to achieve the peace that we seek, the contentment that momentarily seems out of reach. Temptation is natural, overindulgence a sign of your passion and fallibility, but you are too precious to waste.
You may feel mean, but you care enough. There are so many that put their lives into your hands, turn to you for help that you are not always equipped to give. You do the best that you can to spread your love and attention, but you do not have to subvert your own interests for the sake of others. What you do for them is enough. What you do for yourself is perhaps not enough and there is no guilt that should accompany your occasional demurral of assistance.
You may feel codependent, but you are independent enough. Your identity, your sense of self is priceless, is not something that you should ever jeopardize. You must protect that core essence, even if the ramifications for doing so are painful to you and others. You are a stunning sunflower, rooted in the ground and reaching for the sky. Standing solo and apart in a field of thousands, your mark is unmistakable.
You are enough. You were always enough. You will forever be enough.