The Wisdom of Enough

Please note: regardless of what it says on the invitation, this Meetup is always scheduled for Wednesdays from 5-6:30 PST. Sometimes the event is sent from another time zone and is not reflected in PST. Please ignore that—that would be incorrect. Please note this Meetup is ALWAYS scheduled for 5-6:30 PST regardless of what is written in the blurb.

# The Wisdom of Enough

I recently returned from almost three weeks in Japan and found myself reflecting on what felt so different there. Unlike the US, the streets are immaculately clean, the food is beautifully and artistically presented, there is no talking while on public transportation, respect is continually shown through bowing to each other, and there is a general sense of order and courtesy. But beneath those observations I felt there was something deeper about Japan.
There seemed to be an appreciation for enough.
Meals were not oversized, yet they felt abundant. Homes and public spaces were often quite simple and uncluttered but not stark. People did not seem driven to draw attention to themselves. There was a feeling of restraint, modesty, and balance that stood in contrast to the American tendency toward bigger, faster, louder, and more.
As I thought about this, I wondered whether the idea of enough might hold a particular lesson for those of us in the second half of life.
Much of our earlier years are spent building. We strive for more— more money, more success, more possessions, more experiences, more accomplishments, more education. Yet perhaps one of the gifts of aging is the opportunity to ask a different question. Not "What else do I need?" but rather "What is enough?"
What if aging well is not about adding more, but about recognizing sufficiency? Enough possessions. Enough accomplishments. Enough activity. Enough striving. Perhaps even the realization that we ourselves are enough.
This is not a call to settle or withdraw from life. Rather, it is an invitation to consider whether contentment comes not from endless accumulation but instead from appreciating what is already present.
Therefore, when we live in “enough,” our striving is over. We are full with what we have. We have everything we need. There is enough. No wanting for more. We are content. And from this, we can live in the present, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.
As we reflect together, I invite us to consider the following:
Where in our lives have we discovered the wisdom of enough?
And what becomes possible when we stop chasing more?

Join us on Wednesday, June 17th from 5-6:30 pm

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89494059358?pwd=y0pbzYvdtqVJBdI9S5CZwIKwCM4jTv.1