by Pete Codella (bio)
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| Image by Libby Williams. |
I vividly remember my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Scales, telling me daily that I wasn't quiet enough. And since I tested into her class for all the subjects that year, I also felt like I wasn't smart enough to be with some of my friends in other teacher's classes.
Have you ever felt like you weren't skinny enough? Strong enough? Bold enough? Good enough? Anything enough?
Well, enough already!
Those two words — enough already — have been swimming around in my head for a good while now. I'm just over half-way through a demanding executive MBA program at the University of Utah, and true to my upbringing, it has been way too easy to be negative and pessimistic and basically feel like I'm not bright enough or in general up to the task of completing the MBA program.
Sure there are plenty of uber-intelligent people in my cohort of 68 classmates. And I admittedly do not (ever) receive top academic placement in our coursework. But seriously, how hard should I be on myself when I'm back in school in addition to trying to be a good husband, father, family member, employee, friend, church-goer, neighbor ... and the list goes on and on ... ?
I think being content is very similar to being happy. Being content is a choice; an attitude of gratitude, so to speak. I do think being content is based on living correct principles, but you still choose to be content.
So here's my paradigm for the next eight months of my MBA program, and hopefully for hereon out: I AM ENOUGH.
Although — news flash — I'm not perfect, I can be happy in my own skin. I can choose to be optimistic instead of following an all too easy pattern of pessimism and negativity.
From now on, when I find myself thinking or saying, "I'm not fill-in-the-blank enough," I'm going to stop and say to myself, "I AM ENOUGH!"
And I invite you to join me!
