You Are Enough

I know the lies. I know the pit that hits in the center of my chest. The involuntary tightening of my shoulders. The weight of it all.

I’m not enough.

I am becoming intimately aquainted with the voice of my depression. Maybe someday we’ll even be friends.

(I doubt it.)

But the important thing right now is to learn the voice. If I can recognize that it is Depression’s words in my mind, and not my own, I can work on bridging statements. I can strengthen counter statements (eventually). I can find curiosity rather than condemnation.

Then I can (work to try to) remember the truth.

I am enough.

Sure, sure, I’m not perfect. I could easily list several things that I have, recently, screwed up. But I’ve learned. Not perfect, but enough. I’m learning. I’m still going. Despite all the dread and despair, I have not given up yet, even though I keep thinking I have.

Truth is, it’s normal to feel out of place, wrong, sad, upset, even depressed. My counselor keeps reminding me that my emotions are messengers. They are there for a reason and they have information to bring to me. I just have to acknowledge the messenger, accept the message, and…that’s it.

I am enough.

You are enough.

I can get curious about the message. What is this emotion telling me? Why has this weight descended on my body from inside?

I know why.

Thank you, messenger, my emotions.

I am enough.

You are enough.

My emotions and yours are there to help us, protect us, warn us, and more. It doesn’t mean we have failed. It absolutely doesn’t mean we are failures. It doesn’t mean we’re weak.

It also doesn’t mean they’re always needed at that precise moment. Sometimes it’s okay and sometimes it’s helpful to thank the messenger, take the message, and let the messenger know you’ll get back to them later. They can hang around to wait, or it might be nice sometimes if they would give you some space until you’re ready to draft your response and take your next step.

When I have done that, as an exercise taught to me by my counselor, I have always experienced a relief. The weight lessened. The tension in my shoulders eased. The pit was less sour in my stomach or less desperately hollow in my chest. That doesn’t mean everything was fixed right away. But I was able to accept the moment, accept a part of myself as a part and not a failure, and have some reprieve from the pain and urgency.

I am enough.

You are enough.

New message received.

What do you think? If you’ve tried this exercise, how did that go? Let’s talk about our experiences. Maybe we can help each other.