How do you know when you have enough?

[ochati]

Here's a question for the group....how do you know when you have enough? Enough money, enough material goods?

[buckeye1]

Great question. Do we ever have enough money and things? The answer in our culture seems to be 'no'. But if I spend a little time with the question I realize I pretty much have enough right now. I'm on track with most financial goals and there's very little more in terms of material possessions that I really 'need'. Sure I have 'wants', but the truth is I have enough in the present moment.

[paddleon]

Enough is part of the problem. We're conditioned to believe we are defective and always in need of something to remedy that. I agree the vast majority of Americans have enough and are okay right now.

paddleon....

[sailaway]

Do most American's have enough? I'm not so sure. The vast majority of us have enough stuff...material goods and products, to be just fine. But a significant percentage have over-extended to obtain all this. Where many lack is with the more important, meaningful concerns....health insurance, education funds for kids, retirement savings, rainy day funds for the unexpected. This seems to me to explain the huge disconnect I hear discussed & debated about "how people are doing" in this country. We have more than enough of the stuff that really doesn't matter over time and not enough of the stuff that does.

[paddleon]

Males sense to me sailaway.

paddleon....

[sixfeet]

I would agree. We have more than enough of the shallow, superficial stuff that gives us momentary pleasure but lack a lot really meaningful stuff that gives us stability and security. Not all of us but too many.

[ochati]

I tend to agree with you sixfeet. Seems like the things we are most aware of lacking are the least important too.

[Richard Trachtman]

To know if you have enough, I think you first have to ask, "enough for what?" If the answer is "enough to be as happy as I can be," then, acording to research in positive psychology, you only need enough money for basic necessities such as food clothing and shelter and ( I think) perhaps a little bit, but not much more. We are programmed to think we need a lot of other stuff but people in the 1940's and earlier had far far fewer material things and much less education than we do today and were just as happy.

[vette68]

I think this is an important question "enough for what?". Enough to impress my neighbors and peers? Enough to bolster my ego? We live in a country that promotes the idea of more, more more. And if you don't have the latest whatever, you are inferior in some way. So much of the peace and happiness must come from within.

[duncan]

The only way you'll have enough is to realign from within. And stay vigilantly attuned to these internal shifts. There is constant external pressure.