The Problem With “Enough”—What To Do When You’re Stuck in the Future
“All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph! Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!” - Yoda
I was sitting at my desk last week and daydreaming about a different desk (nicer and bigger) in a different apartment (nicer and bigger) and how these would mean that I “made it”.
The problem is that often we get caught up in the next thing and we forget to acknowledge where we are.
It’s easy to get caught up in “enough”.
As humans, we strive for what’s next—especially those who are extremely ambitious. It’s easy to get caught up in “enough”.
Am I enough?
Can I ever be enough?
Will I ever have enough?
My landmark forum teacher once said, “Everyone here who is waiting to find out how life turns out for them: this is how it turned out.”
Instead of waiting for what is next and looking forward, this idea of being present changed my perspective.
While I enjoy thinking about the future and dreaming about what is possible, it occurred to me that I was already sitting at a desk that I had daydreamed, in an apartment I had daydreamed. I had already “made it”.
So if you find yourself in a similar situation where you are waiting for what is next, yearning for the future, and forgetting to acknowledge where you are, I invite you to take a deep breath and take the following actions.
Write in a gratitude journal. It doesn’t have to be a special type of journal, but the point of it is to express gratitude. Write down the things that are going well. This journal should be entirely positive. Don’t forget to acknowledge yourself for who you are being.
Find an object that symbolizes the growth that you are currently experiencing. It might be a chess set, a book, a crystal, etc. But the point of this object is to remind you of where you are right now. In the future, you’ll be able to look at that object and recognize where you’ve come from and how grateful you are for what you had and have.
Comment a statement of gratitude below. Share what is going on in your life. Share what you are proud of and acknowledge yourself.
Book a call with a coach. If you’re feeling extremely stuck, it might be time to work with a coach to figure out what is next for you. A coach will help you remove the blocks in your life and see the potential of what is right in front of you.
I still would like a nicer desk in a nicer apartment, and I expect I will get there. But right now I am incredibly grateful to be sitting at the desk in my apartment, writing this to you. I am grateful for the business I’ve created, the life I live, and the person I am.
