I never really thought that I’d spend as much time in airports as I do. I don’t know why. I always wanted to work globally and that would mean lots of travel. My career as Human Behaviour Specialist and Executive Leadership Coach affords me the opportunity to work in different cities and organisations globally, right through the year. Although I have a passion for what I do, traveling so much is taxing and not at all glamorous.
While sitting in airport lounges, observing business people frenzying around on laptops and cell phones, trying to wrap-up the year’s business before embarking on a long awaited December rest, I often observe how tired and worn-out most people look, especially around November. Eleven months of performance pressure, deadlines and making ends meet takes its toll on humans.
As Executive Leadership coach I often challenge the highly stressed and exhausted executive managers whom I have the privilege of working with, by asking them why they allow themselves to be pushed beyond a limit where they compromise their health, both emotionally and physically.
The discussion normally ends up with the same answer all the time: “I do not know what my “enough” is.”
We live in a society where the pressure to perform is high and success is defined by having more, doing more and being more. Your success is measured by your corporate job title, the car you drive, the size of your home in the right estate and the expensive clubs you belong to.
“When is enough, enough?” – Anthony T. Hincks
Evan Tarver, author of “The New Meaning of Rich”, defines social pressure as follows: “Social pressure is the direct influence of other people on your thoughts, desires, and actions. It’s the feeling that you should follow a path that’s considered “acceptable” by modern society.”
Social pressure confines us to a box, but, as Evan Tarver points out: “Social pressure isn’t an external force exerted by society in an attempt to keep you confined to a path you ultimately don’t want. Rather, it’s internal pressure you put on yourself based on your subconscious need to fit in with those around you.” In my opinion, the only way to break the cycle of the societal pressure is to ensure that you know what your “enough” is.
So think about this one question that I have been spending a lot of time thinking about: “What is my enough?”
Finding the answer may be a most liberating moment. When it comes to work, your personal life, your relationships, and most importantly, your precious time, what is your enough? How much money do you really need to live a full life the way you want to and not what the media dictates to us? What is it that you need to help you achieve your purpose? And when is enough really enough?
The word “enough” is defined in the dictionary as: “as much or as many as required.”
When you discover what your enough is instead of pursuing someone else’s purpose or dream, you will realize that you get to write the rules for how you want to spend your time and life. And if you are lucky enough to know how to make the shifts to have a simpler life and live your enough, you will use time as a way to make important choices of how you get to work, live and play.
Synonyms to the word “enough” is listed in the dictionary as: “Sufficient, adequate, ample, abundant.”
Knowing your “enough” is the road to abundance – abundance in health, abundance in time, abundance in peace, abundance in focus, abundance in flow and grace. So, do you know what your enough is? What is it that you need to fully live your purpose? I bet when you truly invest the time in yourself to answer this question and use your own success metrics, as you define success, you will make different choices about what’s truly important in your life.
Sitting at the airports which I both love and hate, I have time to reflect on my personal “enough” and I am then again reminded of the story published by Bob Parks in 2001 of an elderly father and his daughter saying goodbye at the airport. They had announced the daughter’s departure and standing near the security gate, they hugged and the 80 year old dad said, “I love you. I wish you enough.”
She in turn said, “Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Daddy.” They kissed and she left. The father walked over toward the window to watch his daughter board her flight. A bystander who overheard the conversation and was standing next to the father at the window asked the old man: “Forgive me for asking, but why is this forever goodbye?”
“I am old and she lives much too far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is, the next trip back would be for my funeral,” the old man said. “When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, “I wish you enough.” May I ask what that means?”
The old man began to smile. “That’s a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone. When we said ‘I wish you enough,’ we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them.”
* I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
* I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
* I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
* I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
* I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
* I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
* I wish you enough hello’s to get you through the final goodbye.
As we end of the working year for 2019 and prepare ourselves for Christmas celebrations, my wish for each and every one reading this article is that you will find your enough and that you will align your purpose, your efforts and your focus to match your enough and not anybody else’s enough.
I wish you enough!
