ACT LIKE YOU ARE ENOUGH - Alan Watts Motivation

you see in this vast Cosmic dance we call existence we often find ourselves caught up in a peculiar game a game where we're constantly striving reaching and grasping for something more we're like fish swimming in an ocean desperately searching for isn't that a laughable thought fish searching for water when they already completely essed in it but that's precisely what we're doing when we believe we are not enough we're searching for something that's already inherent in our being something that's been there all along the very fact that you exist that you're here participating in this Grand

Adventure of life means that you are by definition enough now you might be thinking but Allan I have goals Ambitions things I want to achieve doesn't acting like I'm enough mean I'll become complacent uh but that's where the magic lies my friends acting like you're enough doesn't mean you stop growing or striving it means you do so from a place of fullness rather than lack consider a tree the Mighty Oak doesn't wake up one morning and think oh dear I'm not tall enough I must stretch and strain to grow taller no the tree simply is

it grows naturally effortlessly because that's its nature it doesn't question whether it's enough it simply expresses its treess fully and that my dear friends is what we're talking about when we say act like you are in enough it's about fully expressing your humanness your unique Essence without constantly questioning your worth or value we've been conditioned to believe otherwise from the moment we're born we're bomed with messages telling us we're not enough we're not smart enough not beautiful enough not successful enough not rich enough it's as if the whole world is conspiring to convince us of

our inadequacy and why is that well it's quite simple really the person who believes they're not enough is a person who can be controlled manipulated and sold to they're always seeking always buying always trying to fill that perceived void it's a marketer's dream and a human being's nightmare but what if just for a moment we entertain the possibility that we are enough what if we act as if we're complete whole and perfect just as we are how would that change our experience of Life mag walking into a room full of people not with the mindset

I hope they like me or I need to impress them but with a quiet confidence of knowing you're enough how would that change your interactions how would it affect your presence your energy your very being you see when we act like we're enough we're not putting on a show or pretending to be something we're not we're simply allowing our true nature to shine through we're dropping the masks the pretenses the constant striving to be better we're embracing our authentic self warts and all when we act like we're enough we often find that we become more

than we ever thought possible it's like the difference between a clenched Fist and an open hand when we're constantly grasping constantly trying to prove our worth we're like that clenched fist tight restricted limited but when we open our hand when we relax into our inherent enoughness we create space for miracles to occur now I can almost hear some of you thinking but Alan I've made mistakes I failed I've hurt people how can I possibly be enough ah but my friends that's the beauty of it your enoughness isn't based on your actions or achievements it's not

something you earn or lose it's your Birthright your inherent nature think of it this way there's a wave ever fail to be water even when it crashes against the Rocks even when it dissipates into foam it's still water its nature doesn't change and neither does yours your mistakes your failures your shortcomings they're all part of The Human Experience they don't negate your fundamental worth in fact I'd argue that it's precisely these imperfections that make you perfectly human a diamond with a flaw is worth more than a peble without imperfections your flaws your struggles your journey

they all contribute to the the unique Masterpiece that is you there how do we begin to act like we're enough it starts with awareness notice the times when you're telling yourself you're not enough observe the situations that trigger feelings of inadequacy become curious about these patterns without judging them and then my friends comes the radical Act of accepting yourself exactly as you are in this moment not the future you not the idealized version of you but the you that's sitting here right now listening to these words can you accept your body with all its aches

and pains and Imperfections can you accept your mind with its fears and doubts and Brilliant ideas can you accept your heart with its capacity for both love and hurt can you accept the entirety of your being not as something to be fixed or improved but as a perfect expression of life itself this acceptance doesn't mean you stop growing or learning the opposite when you accept yourself fully you create the conditions for true growth it's like planting a seed you don't dig it up every day to check its progress you simply provide the right conditions soil

water sunlight and similarly when you act like you're enough you're providing the right conditions for your own growth you're saying to the universe I trust in my inherent capacity to evolve and unfold naturally now let's address another common objection some of you might be thinking but if I act like I'm enough would I become arrogant or complacent this is a beautiful question and it brings us to an important distinction acting like you're enough isn't about puffing yourself up or thinking you're better than others it's not about ego at all in fact true enoughness transcends ego

it's a deep quiet confidence that doesn't need to boast or prove it think of it like this when you know really know that you're enough you don't need to convince anyone else of your worth you don't need to compete or compare you can simply be allowing others to be enough to it's a state of profound peace and acceptance when it's a wonderful iron when you act like you're enough you often find that you accomplish more not less but the difference is in the motivation you're no longer driven by a desperate need to prove your worth

instead you're moved by genuine passion curiosity and a desire to express your gifts it's like the difference between a river and a canal a canal is constructed forced always striving to reach its destination a river on the other hand simply flows it follows its natural course effortlessly carving its path through the landscape be the river my friends trust in your natural flow now I want you to take a moment to really feel this close your eyes if you'd like take a deep breath feel the air filling your lungs nourishing every cell of your body feel

the ground beneath you supporting you feel the life force pulsing through you in this moment can you allow yourself to be enough can you drop the striving the reaching the endless self-improvement projects can you simply be feel the relief in that feel the expansiveness feel the freedom this is your natural state my friends this is who you truly are beneath all the conditioning beneath all shoulds and musts and have to and from this place of enoughness notice how your perspective shifts the world looks different when you're not constantly evaluating yourself against some imaginary standard colors

seem brighter sounds clearer the simple joys of existence more Vivid this is the gift of acting like you're enough it's not just about feeling better about yourself it's about experiencing life more fully more richly more authentic now let's be clear acting like you're enough doesn't mean you'll never feel insecure inadequate again those feelings will still arise they're part of the human experience but then you know deep in your bones that you're enough those feelings become like clouds passing through the sky of your awareness you can observe them without being consumed by them and here's another

beautiful aspect of this practice as you begin to act like you're enough you'll start to see the enoughness in others too you'll recognize that just as you are a perfect expression of life so is every other being that person who cut you off in traffic enough the colleague who annoys you enough the family member who pushes all your buttons enough can you see the profound shift this brings to your relationships to your entire way of being in the world when you see the inherent worth in every being compassion naturally arises not the condescending kind of

compassion that looks down on others but the kind that recognizes our shared Humanity our shared Divinity and this my friends is how acting like you're enough can change not just your life but the entire world Imagine a world where everyone recognize their own inherent worth and the worth of others how would that change our interaction our institutions our treatment of the planet you see acting like you're enough isn't just a personal growth technique it's a radical Act of Social and planetary transformation it's a way of being that has the power to heal our deepest wounds

and solve our most pressing problems but it starts with you it starts here now in this moment can you be brave enough to act like you're enough can you be audacious enough to embrace your inherent worthiness it might feel uncomfortable at first after all we're going against years perhaps lifetimes of conditioning but I invite you to experiment with it start small if you need to perhaps for the next hour or the next day act as if you're notice how it changes your posture your breathing your interactions with others and as you do this pay attention

to the voice in your head that says you're not enough get curious about it where did it come from whose voice is it really is it truly yours or is it an internalized message from parents teachers Society you might find as you investigate that this voice isn't actually protecting you as it claims to be in fact it's limiting you holding you back from fully expressing your gifts and living your purpose so what if you thank that voice for its efforts to keep you safe and then gently but firmly told it that you no longer need

its services what if you chose instead to listen to the deeper voice the one that knows you're enough that knows you're a perfect expression of life itself this is the voice of your true nature the voice of what some might call the Divine or the universal Consciousness speaking through you and when you align with this voice when you act from this place of inherent enoughness magic happens suddenly life becomes less of a struggle and more of a dance you're no longer swimming against the current trying to reach some imaginary destination where you'll finally be enough

instead you're flowing with the River of Life trusting in its course enjoying the journey and here's the beautiful thing when you act like you're enough you give others permission to do the same your very being becomes an invitation for others to step into their own enoughness think about it when you're around someone who's truly comfortable in their own skin who soothes AC quiet confidence and self accept acceptance doesn't it make you feel more at ease doesn't it inspire you to drop your own masks and pretenses this is the ripple effect of acting like you're enough

contagious in the best possible way and in a world that's constantly telling us we're not enough this is a revolutionary act now I want to address something important acting like you're enough doesn't mean you become passive or stop setting goals it doesn't mean you never strive to learn or grow or improve the difference is in the underlying motivation when you act from a place of enoughness your actions are no longer driven by a desperate need to prove your worth or feel some perceived lack instead they're inspired by Joy curiosity and a desire to fully express

your unique gifts it's like the difference between a child playing and an adult working the child doesn't play to achieve some future goal or to prove prove their worth they play for the sheer Joy of playing and in that play they learn grow and develop naturally can you bring that same Spirit of Joyful play to your life can you pursue your goals and dreams not from a place of lack but from a place of fullness and excitement this is the Paradox of acting like you're enough when you no longer need achievement to validate your worth

you often achieve more than you ever thought possible but more importantly you enjoy the process you find fulfillment not just in reaching the destination but in every step of and isn't that what we're really after not just accomplishments to add to our resume but a life live fully richly with depth and meaning so my friends I invite you to embark on this Grand experiment for the next week act as if you are enough wake up each morning and remind yourself I am enough exactly as I am carry this knowledge with you throughout notice how it

changes your interactions with others notice how it affects your work your creativity your relationships notice how it shifts your relationship with yourself and when you inevitably forget because you will we all do simply remind yourself again this isn't about perfection it's about practice it's about gradually shifting your default state from I'm not enough to I am enough remember you're not trying to become enough you already are enough you're simply removing the obstacles that have prevented you from recognizing this truth it's like cleaning a window the sun is always shining but if the window is dirty

the light can't fully penetrate acting like you're enough is about cleaning the window of your perception allowing the light of your true nature to shine through un obstruct and as you do this you might find that life takes on a new quality things that used to bother you might not seem so important anymore you might find yourself more present More Alive to the simple joys of existence you might also notice that your relationships improve then you're no longer seeking validation from others when you're no longer trying to prove your worth you can engage with people

more authentically you can listen more deeply love more freely connect more genuinely and here's something truly magical as you embrace your own enoughness you might find that you have more to give to others it's like filling your own Cup first so that you can pour from a place of abundance rather than scarcity this is the true meaning of self-love my friends not narcissism or selfishness it's recognizing your inherent worth so fully that it overflows to everyone around you now I want to address a question that might be a rising for some of of you but

Alan you might be thinking what about the real problems in the world what about Injustice poverty climate change how does acting like I'm enough help with these issues this is a profound question and it brings us to the heart of the matter you see many of the world's problems stem from a collective feeling of not enoughness Wars are fought over resources because we fear there won't be enough we overc consume and deplete the planet's resources because we're trying to fill an in a void we exploit others because we don't recognize their inherent worth when we

act like we're enough we naturally move towards balance and Harmony we no longer need to prove our worth through excessive consumption or domination of others we can approach Global problems from a place of abundance and cooperation rather than scale moreover when we act like we're enough we tap into our full potential we access our creativity our inovation our capacity for compassion and problem solving and isn't this exactly what the world needs right now people who are fully Alive fully engaged bringing their unique gifts to bear on the challenges we face so you see acting like

you're enough isn't just a personal growth technique it's a way of being that has the potential to transform our entire world that it starts with you it starts here now in this moment can you be courageous enough to embrace your enoughness can you be bold enough to act as if you are already whole complete lacking nothing I invite you to try it not just for yourself but for the entire world because as you step into your fullness you create a ripple effect that touches everything and everyone around you imagine a world where everyone recognize their

inherent worth imagine a world where people operated from a place of fullness rather than lack imagine a world where we saw the Divine in each other and in all of creation this is the world we can create my friends and it begins with each one of us so as we come to the close of our time together I want to leave you with this thought you are not just enough you are more than enough you are a miracle of existence a unique expression of life itself there has never been and will never be another you

the rat that you exist is cause for celebration your presence here in this moment is a gift to the world you don't need to earn your place here you don't need to Justify Your Existence you are enough simply because you are so go forth my friends and act like the miracle you are act like the divine