One of the challenges we face in life is realizing when we have enough. Often there are times when we think we need more of something only to find out that we had it all along. Other times, we feel our lives are missing something – we feel an emptiness that we can’t identify. That emptiness is often a sign that we are missing or don’t have enough of a certain item in our life – be it enough family time, education, happiness or a myriad of other things.
Let’s take a look at the eight most common “do we have enough” items and see why each is important in our lives and how we can work at achieving the perfect balance to help us life our lives to their full potential and purpose.
- Love. This doesn’t have be a deep, physical relationship that we often think of when we think about love. It can also represent the relationship you have with family, friends, business associates and the community in which you live. Forming these relationships is important in all our lives because they allow us to interact and get to know people and understand who they are. Social networks are an important part of our lives and it can often to be argued that there is no limit on “enough” for these relationships.
- Expressed Feelings. Do you speak up enough and tell those around you what you are thinking or how you feel? Do you do everything you want to do for others in our lives? All too often we can be the best speaker in the world when it comes to business or career topics, but when it comes to personal and family relationships we fall deafly silent. Speak up and talk to those around you and make sure that through your words and actions you are doing for others around you to support and help them. Communications is the key to any successful personal or business relationship. Don't leave anything unsaid.
- Time. It seems that we all have a fascination with the clock. We often use the concept of time to define things that we want to happen, or wish would happen. We also think that time is the defining factor in whether or not we can do something. How often have you heard, “I’m too old to be doing that” or “If only this would happen, then I could do that”? Don’t let time hold you back in life. You are never too old to do anything and the only person holding you back from doing something is yourself!
- Faith. Do you have peace of mind and serenity? Do you go to sleep at night without worrying about exactly what will happen tomorrow? It is necessary to have faith in our lives in order to live a fulfilled life. Sometimes we just have to let things happen and not worry about them. We have to believe that things will work out. Spend less time worrying about what will happen and instead focus your energy on helping to make things happen.
- Happiness. How many of us are truly happy? How many of us know what happiness is? Everyone defines happiness differently – it’s what makes us unique. Find what makes you happy in life and then pursue it and enjoy it to its fullest extent. Find out what makes others happy – and then do it! Most of all, be grateful for those around you who bring happiness into your life.
- Professional Development. Never stop learning in your career. Take advantage of every opportunity to grow and become more knowledgeable in what you do. Look forward to every day as an opportunity to help you learn more and grow more professionally. Make sure that you have a clear roadmap to success defined for your career. Know what you want to achieve as a professional and every day take another small step towards making that happen.
- Personal Development. Do you have a purpose in life? What makes you tick? What makes you wake up every morning and go, “I can’t wait to start today”? Discover what you your passion is in life and then pursue it with a vengeance! Your life is a journey that is unlike any other you will ever embark on – so make sure that you take the time to enjoy it instead of worrying about every turn off the road.
- Money. For some people, it all boils down to the money. Make sure you have enough to live comfortably and to do what you would like to do in life. At the same time, make sure that you give back to the community and people around you through donations of money and time. Don’t get caught in the trap so many people do of always wanting more “stuff”. Consumption is not the road to happiness. Material possessions don’t make you happy – only your passions and goals in life can lead you to happiness!
So do you have enough? Or are there areas in your life where you have too much of one thing and not enough of the other? How can you balance your life out to make sure that each of your needs in life is being met and that you know when you have had enough?
Written by David B. Bohl
译文:
怎样知道自己何时拥有了足够的东西
我们一生当中会面临一个挑战，那就是意识到什么时候自己拥有了足够多的东西。很多时候我们会发现那些自认为还需要更多的东西其实一直就在身边。有的时候我们会感觉到生命中错过了某些东西，会有一种难以言表的空虚感。那种空虚通常会提醒我们生活中错过了什么或是该做的是事情做得不够多。例如：与家人相处的时间、受教育的程度、享受快乐的时间，或是其他很多东西。
一块来看一看这八项最普遍的“我们是否拥有足够多”的东西，并弄懂为什么它们每一个在我们生活中都很重要。进而知道如何在生活中达到完美的平衡，让我们的生命释放它所有的潜力，达到我们所有的目标。
爱。当我们说到爱的时候，不仅指我们通常认为的那种亲密的身体接触。它也可以表示我们与家人的关系、与朋友的关系、与合作伙伴的关系，还有我们与邻里的关系。这些关系的形成在我们生活中都非常重要，因为它们，我们相互影响、相互了解，并知道别人是怎样的人。社会关系网是我们生活中非常重要的一部分，同时我们也经常争论我们对社会关系网是一个有限还是无限的需求。
表达感情。你是否经常向你周围的人说出你的看法或是表达你的感受呢？你有没有去完成每一件你想帮别人做的事？通常，当我们谈论有关事业、工作的话题的时候，我们会表现得滔滔不绝；当谈到家庭和个人关系的时候，我们会保持沉默。与你身边的人交谈并清楚的表达你的看法，通过你的语言和你的行动去支持、帮助别人。交流是建立好私人和工作关系的钥匙，不要保留任何你想说的话。
时间。 似乎我们对钟都很迷恋，我们经常用时间的概念来定义那些我们想让它发生或希望它发生的事。我们还认为时间是界定什么事情可以做，什么事情不可以做的唯一因素。你是不是经常听见有人说“我太老了，我干不了、、、、、、”或者是“只要它发生了，我就会去做、、、、、、”。不要让时间控制你的生活。你永远不会因为你的年龄问题而不能做某件事，能阻止你做这件事的只有你自己。
信念。你的内心是否获得过宁静？你会在睡觉的时候不去担心明天究竟会发生什么吗？为了让我们的生活过得充实，拥有一种信念很重要。有的时候，我们不得不让一些事情发生，并且做到不去担心它们。我们需要相信所有的事情终会得到解决。把时间少花一点在担忧那些将会发生的事上，集中精力在推动事情的进展上。
快乐。我们当中有多少人是真正感到快乐的呢？又有多少人知道什么是快乐呢？每个人对快乐都有不同的定义。正是这个让我们每一个人都很特别。找到你生活中的乐趣，去追求它，并充分地去享受快乐。同时，找出别人快乐的原因，然后照着去做。最重要的是要感激你身边给你的生活带来快乐的人。
个人发展。你的生活有目标吗？什么主导着你的生活？是什么让你每天早上醒来就会有“迫不及待想开始新的一天的生活”的念头？找到你生活中的激情并且强烈地追求它吧！你的生活就像一次旅行，而且是独一无二的。你会不断地遇到新的事物，所以请确定自己都把时间花在享受这次旅行当中，而不是浪费担心马路弯道上了。
金钱。对于某些人来说，什么事都取决于金钱。保证你有足够的钱让你过上舒服的日子，能让你去做你想做的事情。同时，你要确保你能给予那些馈赠你时间和金钱的人同等的回报。有很多人总是期待得到更多，请不要掉入这样的陷阱。消费并不是通向幸福的大道。物质的拥有并不能给你带来快乐，只有你生活中的激情和目标能领你走向快乐。
那么，你拥有的东西足够多了吗？还是在你的生活当中，你拥有很多其中的某一样东西，却缺少了另一样？怎样才能平衡你的生活，保证你得到你所需要的一切？又怎样才能知道什么时候你拥有的东西足够多呢？