You are enough

I think we might be too hard on ourselves. As a culture there can be a lot of pressure to perform, achieve, strive, compete and succeed - to be a part of the rat race (it is the year of the rat, after all). That's a lot. I think we also have a tendency to complicate things as well. I find myself thinking and feeling, at times, awfully anxious about the future. It's hard to sit with uncertainty, and I try my best to tune back into my yummy breath when I catch myself thinking about the past or future. I wonder if I'm doing enough although deep down, I know I am enough. Just like me, you might be struggling with this. You are not alone. You and me - we are all enough, and that's non-negotiable. Regardless of what we do, we are already enough. We were born enough. There's goodness inside all of us. Just like the clouds covering up the sun, our busyness/striving/(insert external value) sometimes clouds our innate goodness.

What helps ground me, even if for a few moments, is my dedicated meditation practice, through encouragement of my spiritual friends/mentors. With immense dedication I've practiced formal sitting meditation for 30 minutes a day, every day. My grandma's passing in 2016 was what woke me up to the fragility of life. Her passing has inspired me to focus on what matters. I'm not sharing because I want to brag. I want to share because meditation is a practice that's important to me and my growth, a practice that has positively shaped who I am, has prevented me from burning out, and has made me a more present person, friend, family member, and coworker.

Today, I invite you to set an intention that speaks to you, in any area of your life, be it mental health, physical health, spiritual health, or financial health. I also want to encourage you to do your best each day and don't compare yourself to others. Yeah, I know it can be super tough with the age of social media eating up the little free time that we have. I want you to do yourself a favor and start small. Most importantly, be consistent. I don't care if the consistency is 3-5 minutes/day - it's still consistency, you know what I mean? That counts, and it'll all add up. Yup, in this period of uncertainty, let us set an intention in this present moment to savor, practice, and be kind to ourselves and others. It's a real gift to be born as a human. Make it count.

Warm hearts,

AC

*First seen on Feb. 2020 e-newsletter*

Picture of a magnolia taken by Alisa C. in Feb. 2020 at San Francisco Botanical Gardens