Learning That You Are Enough
Video Transcription
Hello, I’m Laurie Tucker, author of What Odd Things I Thank You For: Discovering Grace in a Shattered Life—the story of my healing from childhood sexual abuse and of the blessings of the healing path.
Having been told from early childhood that what I wanted or needed didn’t matter; that no matter how hard I tried, my efforts were not enough; and that I wasn’t capable of doing much of anything, as an adult I have struggled to learn that I do matter, I am capable, and I am enough.
My therapist and my husband began to remind me regularly that I was safe, I was loved, and I was capable. I heard the words a thousand times before I could incorporate the truth of what they said. It has taken me seventeen years and counting to be able to hold those truths in all circumstances. I don’t always have it.
To help me, my husband suggested a vanity license plate U R ENUF. I read it daily and enjoy interacting with people who pull up beside me at a traffic light or in a parking lot. Sometimes, people turning left in front of me smile when they see the license plate and then smile at me. It makes my day when people thank me for the message, saying that it was exactly what they needed to hear that day.
Why is knowing you are enough so powerful? When we can accept ourselves, warts, limitations, and gifts together, we allow our souls to breathe freely, to exist in a being who is not constantly struggling to be someone or something different. Knowing you are enough, lets you live in the present moment without constantly comparing yourself to others, or always checking to see if you are okay in any situation, without the self-judgement that is detrimental to your being. Believing you are enough, enables you to be gentle with yourself when times are hard and your capacity to be present and productive are low.
Cognitively, I understand that I am enough. Yet, I would be lying if I said I don’t struggle to hold onto that belief every day. I can be knocked off balance, out of the belief that I am enough, I am loveable and capable by the smallest things. I go back to feeling small, like I don’t matter. It takes a lot of reminders, of repeating the mantra, “you are capable and loveable, you are enough” again and again before I can step back into the knowledge that my life is now different than it was when I was a child. Believing, knowing, and living the truth of being enough is perhaps the ultimate goal. I’m not there yet. If you aren’t either, I’ll meet you on the path and we can work on it together.
Remember, you are enough just as you are. You are loveable and capable. You matter.
Blessings.
Having been told from early childhood that what I wanted or needed didn’t matter; that no matter how hard I tried, my efforts were not enough; and that I wasn’t capable of doing much of anything, as an adult I have struggled to learn that I do matter, I am capable, and I am enough.
My therapist and my husband began to remind me regularly that I was safe, I was loved, and I was capable. I heard the words a thousand times before I could incorporate the truth of what they said. It has taken me seventeen years and counting to be able to hold those truths in all circumstances. I don’t always have it.
To help me, my husband suggested a vanity license plate U R ENUF. I read it daily and enjoy interacting with people who pull up beside me at a traffic light or in a parking lot. Sometimes, people turning left in front of me smile when they see the license plate and then smile at me. It makes my day when people thank me for the message, saying that it was exactly what they needed to hear that day.
Why is knowing you are enough so powerful? When we can accept ourselves, warts, limitations, and gifts together, we allow our souls to breathe freely, to exist in a being who is not constantly struggling to be someone or something different. Knowing you are enough, lets you live in the present moment without constantly comparing yourself to others, or always checking to see if you are okay in any situation, without the self-judgement that is detrimental to your being. Believing you are enough, enables you to be gentle with yourself when times are hard and your capacity to be present and productive are low.
Cognitively, I understand that I am enough. Yet, I would be lying if I said I don’t struggle to hold onto that belief every day. I can be knocked off balance, out of the belief that I am enough, I am loveable and capable by the smallest things. I go back to feeling small, like I don’t matter. It takes a lot of reminders, of repeating the mantra, “you are capable and loveable, you are enough” again and again before I can step back into the knowledge that my life is now different than it was when I was a child. Believing, knowing, and living the truth of being enough is perhaps the ultimate goal. I’m not there yet. If you aren’t either, I’ll meet you on the path and we can work on it together.
Remember, you are enough just as you are. You are loveable and capable. You matter.
Blessings.