You are enough.

Notice what your mind does with these words—how you look for exceptions, how you begin to compare, how you doubt my perception.

That’s okay. I don’t want you to believe me—I want you to know something far deeper.

I must warn you that you’ll not find the elusive sense of being enough at the end of your arduous struggle to achieve.

Enough isn’t found in the flashbulbs of success.

Enough does not float weightlessly on the long exhale after you’ve done all you can do.

Enough will invariably elude your attempts to achieve it.

It will not be earned.

You cannot beckon enough.

You cannot barter for enough.

There’s not enough of you to trade for enough.

You can’t do enough to be enough.

You can’t earn enough to be enough.

Enough is not about doing — it’s about acknowledging what already is.

Enough was a state that existed before you tried. Enough was there pre-struggle, mid-struggle, and post-struggle unaffected by all the effort you expended.

It was quietly waiting to be noticed, to be acknowledged, to be accepted.

To be enough is an enormous gift that must be received by the same hands with which it is given. These are open hands, empty hands, hands that embrace what is without judgment.

You can’t grasp enough, for it will not be held against its will or exploited for cheap and temporary validation.

Enough does not come from some external source or by way of a benevolent pat on the head. It can not be gifted by grace, faith, or a savior.

It will not be patronized.

You’ll discover enough with a keen awareness that cuts through the noise of language into a state of being.

A state of being enough.

I challenge you to whisper this question with all the sincerity and openness you can muster,

“What if I am enough?”

In my experience, enough is a gentle presence that prefers quavering curiosity over bold proclamations or too much trying.

Sit with this question for a bit and notice it reverberate. See if you can create a little more space for your inherent enoughness.

May your awareness be fueled by a compassionate curiosity as you discover what was always there. May you be at home and at ease in the warm caress of enough.

-Brian

Brian Peck, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in religious trauma and supporting folks with a history of adverse religious experiences. In addition to helping survivors resolve religious trauma, Brian is passionate about reducing the stigma attached to non-believers, especially those who have exited high-demand religious communities.