Enough. A loaded word. It can be used in a statement of despair, as in “I’ve had enough.” A forceful, “Enough is enough,” often is screamed in frustration during a situation where there seems to be no logical resolution. Even sadder, one might hear, “I will never be good enough,” from a child or a friend who has had it “up to here” with trying and trying again and seeming to fail.

I heard the word recently during a meditation in a different context. After being fed up with a regular lack of self-compassion, I screamed (inwardly, certainly not out loud), “I AM good enough.” Damn it, “I am good enough and I deserve better.”

Self compassion has become a real call to arms these days. Those of us who grew up receiving subtle and not-so-subtle messages that we were never good enough have pretty much had it with that same old song which keeps us from realizing who we are on earth to be. As has been pointed out by numerous speakers and authors, we are only in this physical incarnation for one reason and that is live out our divine purpose-being just who we are with all of our pluses and minuses and all of our life glitches. But the simple but not easy truth is that we are here to live exactly who we are and in a state of LOVE. To be love. To show love. To give love. To connect….with love.

Living with self compassion and living out a purpose of love is (as I’ve said before) very, very simple but not easy. Being gentle with ourselves as well as others is a daily challenge. So start gently, start simply. Lead with compassion. Lead with self love. And then we are available to others to be love. We ARE enough..