The Meaning of “I Am Enough” and Why Is It So Important

“I am enough” is the most important sentence. Here is the meaning of “I am enough” and how knowing it changes our lives.

“I am enough,” a three-word sentence that carries exceptional weight. For some people, it’s the default to know their worth. But for others, it may take months or years to realize their worth.

So what is the meaning of “I am enough”? Why is it so important, and how to build a strong sense of worthiness in our daily life?

Signs that you don’t think you are enough

We don’t know what we don’t know. Sometimes our limiting beliefs play a role in the background. For example, you may think you are confident until someone criticizes you. Or you may feel like you know your worth until a terrible relationship makes you doubt your value. 

It’s always better to be prepared and fix those limiting beliefs before they come to affect your life. So here are the signs that you don’t think you are enough, and you may have some inner work to do.

• You question your worth in the presence of negative comments.
• You desperately try to change the way your body and your appearance.
• Sometimes you avoid opportunities or people because you think they are too good for you.
• You believe that you can only be happy when you are slim/wealthy/married…
• In your mind, everything is fixed. And you don’t think you can be better than you are now.
• You have an urgency to prove yourself to others.
• Sometimes you sacrifice your time or mental well-being for other people.
• You assume that people only approach or play nice to take advantage of you.

So how to own your enoughness? What to do if you are not embracing your worth now?

Read also: A free workbook to identify and change your limiting beliefs

The meaning of “I am enough”

As an affirmation, knowing the meaning of “I am enough” creates a concrete picture in your mind. It tells your brain how to act and react in different situations and when to shut down your inner doubting voice.

If you struggle to own your enoughness, you may first need to know what the phrase means so you can internalize it better. And here is the meaning of “I am enough.” Then, compare and see which area you need to work on.

“I am enough” means to accept your flaws whole-heartedly

Without self-acceptance, you will always be struggling with your identity. But when you know you are enough, you can finally be at peace with your flaws, imperfections, and mistakes.

I remember watching Susan Boyle’s Britain’s Got Talent performance. She was standing there, timid and nervous. Even when she conquered the audience with her fantastic singing, a trace of insecurity flashed in her eyes.

Judging from her appearance, Susan Boyle might not have the “star quality.” But all I wanted to do at that time was to cheer for her, to tell her that she was amazingly talented and she deserved to be on that stage, proud. 

When you know you are enough, you are that cheerleader. You stop attaching your worth to your body shape, appearance, or your bank account number. Instead, what you see are the qualities you have, your talent, and your potential. You believe that you are loved even when you are not perfect, and no one else is. 

Think about someone that you adore. It can be your friend or a family member. Are they flawless with a six-pack and stunning features? Are they extremely wealthy and successful? My guess is that they are imperfect somehow, but it doesn’t matter to you.

You see something special in them that makes their flaws less visible. Maybe it’s their humor, compassion, kindness, or always being there for you. You value them for their good qualities.

That is the same with you, too. You don’t need to be perfect to be loved or accepted. You just need to shine in one thing. So if you still doubt your enoughness, try asking yourself, “where do I shine?” And when you have the answer, do everything in your power to let it shine brighter.

Free yourself from the beliefs other people put on you

Some of the beliefs you pick up as a kid continue to impact your adult life. And those beliefs may make sense back then, but not now.

For example, your parents applauded you for finishing your meal when you were a baby. So you learned that you needed to eat everything on the plate even when you were full.

That made sense when you were too young to know how much you needed. But that belief is no longer healthy when you are an adult. It no longer serves you and might even over-eat, putting your health at risk.

Part of growing up is to abandon the beliefs that are holding you back or damaging you. It can be teachers telling you that college is the only way to success. Or maybe your parents were always fighting. So you feel like that’s how a relationship is.

Not everything you were told or learned in your childhood is true. When you know you are enough, you start to question the old beliefs that suggest otherwise. And you begin asking yourself, “really?” “Do I really deserve to be in a dysfunctional relationship?” “Do I have to eat all these on my plate?” When you shake your old mindset, you start to build new ones that bring abundance to your life.

Know that you are not your past

The past is something we need to learn from, not something that defines us.

Just because you didn’t do well in school doesn’t mean you will suck at your job. And just because you have hurt someone doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a happy relationship.

Disney wasn’t the first company Walt Disney founded. Before it, he launched an advertising video production firm that started quite successfully. But he trusted the wrong distributors who cheated his money. As a result, the company eventually went bankrupt.

If Walt Disney stopped there and identified himself as a failure, we would miss out on today’s amazing cartoons and movies. Quite the opposite, he jumped right back on to found Disney. With his experiences and creativity, it became an entertainment empire as we know it today.

What’s in the past is past, whether it’s a mistake, a heartbreak, or a glory. The moment you decide to move on, those past experiences become lessons. They guide you to make better decisions in the future.

Stop punishing yourself for other people’s mistakes

Humans are social animals. We need connections to grow, learn and live. But that also means we are exposed to hurt. They can be hurtful words, betrayals, lies, or rejections.

It’s not possible to avoid hurt. And we all know that the best way to deal with it is to move on. But so often, we find ourselves dwelling in the heartbreaks unknowingly. And those unprocessed emotions may be sabotaging.

For example, if your parents divorced when you were a kid, you might assume that it’s hard to have a happy marriage and a loving family. Or maybe you’ve been hurt in past relationships. And you expect everyone you meet is a liar.

Knowing “I am enough” means challenging those thoughts, questioning them, and transforming them. It’s also reconciliation with yourself. 

Tell yourself that “it’s not my fault that my parents always fought. And I don’t need to repeat the same pattern.” And “I don’t deserve to be cheated on. It’s just one person. After that, I will find someone who treats me right.”

When you stop blaming yourself for others’ mistakes, you allow others to love you, cherish you, and help you grow.

Be your better self for yourself

Finally, the last meaning of knowing “I am enough” is wanting to be better for yourself, not for anyone else.

When you know you are enough, you understand that you don’t need to please anyone. You don’t need to make mommy or daddy proud nor to prove your worth to your partner.

All you want to do is to grow and grow because it feels great. The sense of fulfillment is the ultimate motivation that drives you forward. Nothing compares to the joy when you find you can excel and exceed your expectations. 

I was raised in a single-parent family, and my dad was always absent. To gain his attention, I fought to be the best student in the class and a child with the best manners. Everything to me was a competition because winning would mean being noticed by my dad.

But that didn’t work. I was still pretty alone in my childhood. So if he didn’t care, why not just do it for me? When I lived my life for myself, I learned even better because my intention was pure. When I made a decision, I had my best interest at heart, not caring if he would like it. The mindset change sets me free.

Live for yourself might be a cliché slogan. But it has so much truth as well because, at the end of the day, everyone has to live for themselves. You are not born to be liked or accepted. You are here to fulfill your purpose. And knowing you are enough will guide you on the right track.

What’s your interpretation of “I am enough”?

Tell me about it in the comment or share with me by tagging @_OurMindfulLife on Instagram.