A Simple Exercise For When You Feel Like You're Not Enough

Yes, in involves the humble little bee.

We all have days when we feel inadequate or not enough.

It could be because a project is due in a week and you haven’t started, fearing your skills aren’t good enough.

Orr our boss has asked you to call her for a 15 minute chat and you think it’s because you’re about to get fired (cue visualizations of your beloved Pothos plant with the cute vintage strawberry planter peeking out of a cardboard box you’re carrying out of the office building while haphazardly saying goodbye to your work bestie). 

First off, it’s normal. And those thoughts of not feeling like you’re enough are lying to you. 

Here’s a small offering I have for you to step away from these feelings, even if for a few moments. Taking a short break can help give some perspective. It’s not going to solve all your problems (I wish) but it will give you the space to hopefully stop catastrophizing what is happening at the moment. And even if it is super serious (like losing your job), maybe it’ll help you feel calmer so you can figure out the next steps.

---

Dearests, if you’re on Substack and like what you’re reading on Searching For Enough please consider recommending this publication. Your readers can come to a safe space where in a world asking you to strive for more, I help them champion for living life on their own terms by listening to and acting on your inner voice.

---

Here’s the offering: stare at a bee.

If there isn’t one nearby? Fine, stare at a butterfly. Or blades of grass moving in the wind. A painting on your wall. Your keyboard. In a fit of desperation, I’ve even started at a blank wall.

You can choose anything you want, but the main rule is that you can’t be doing anything like typing or calling your mother in law. 

You’re going to sit there and stare at the object you chose and look at it. Like, don’t do anything else. Notice where the bee is flying, or what the butterfly wings look like. Where have they landed? Or can you follow with your eyes as they’re fluttering about in front of you?

If it’s an object that doesn’t move, inspect it. What colors can you notice on the painting? Where are the curves, or how many straight lines can you spot? 

The point is to see the object for what it is. No projecting into the future or the past. What is happening now?

Try this for as long as possible. And if you get distracted, it’s ok. What’s important is to return to what you’re looking at, right now

To end, close your eyes, breathe in and out a few times, and open your eyes to rejoin the world. Instead of rushing to whatever it is you’re doing next, notice how you feel in your mind and body. Take the time to move slowly back to the rest of your day. See if those few moments of staring at a bee helped.

If it didn’t, that’s fine too. At least you gave yourself time and the space to explore. And isn’t that the point, to lead with curiosity and see where it takes us?