Hey Reader,

Do you feel like you're 'enough'? You wouldn't be alone if you feel squirmy answering that. Many of us struggle with a feeling that deep down we're unworthy, undeserving or 'not enough' just as we are. Today I'm sending you an exercise I've done in my Draw Yourself Out workshops when we focus on the theme of being enough. This exercise is very helpful in gaining perspective.

Grab a pen and paper and give it a try!

You Are Enough Journal Exercise

Where does your idea of 'enough' come from?

• Do you feel the weight of the myriad of expectations that come from outside of yourself? expectations from parents, family, culture, the workplace, friends, media…?
• Does being enough look different if you tune into your heart and ask what feels like enough from deep inside?

For this exercise you'll be writing down two lists of nouns.

You can scroll down to the bottom of this email to see my own lists (but there aren't right or wrong answers to this, just personal feelings, so feel free to skip looking at my lists if you want!)

Start with a list titled 'Enough From the Outside'. Imagine those pressures that come from others. Check in with what it feels like to try and measure up to other people's expectations.

Now, without spending too much time thinking about it, what nouns come to mind when you think of 'enough' based on outside influences? Write down 30 (or more!) nouns with this in mind.

Alright, now you're going to switch perspectives. Imagine a delight filled moment from your past, some time when you felt a burst of joy, comfort or love. Take a moment to think about the feeling of 'enough' coming from inside yourself. How does that feel? Without judging or editing, jot down a list of 30 or more nouns based on Enough From the Inside.

Okay! Interesting to see what bubbled up on these isn’t it? If you stay with the loose, brainstorm-type mental state, do you have any messages for yourself about being enough that you’d like to write down?

Are there any images that float to the surface? Let yourself doodle and draw around what you’re written. If you hear an inner voice critiquing, just let it know you’re playing around with this.

Let me know how this goes!

Alissa

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