There’s a quiet, corrosive belief that runs through much of humanity:
“I’m not enough. But if I achieve the right thing, maybe one day I will be.”

It’s like a meme encoded into billions of minds. And it’s life-sapping.

Where Does It Come From?

Most of us don’t even realize when we pick it up. It happens early. A parent’s frown, a teacher’s harsh word, a comparison to someone else. Without knowing, our young minds start building programs: “I’m only okay when I please others. I’ll be worthy when I accomplish something impressive.”

From then on, the brain becomes a lawyer for this false belief—constantly gathering evidence, presenting case after case in the courtroom of our minds. See? You failed. Not enough. See? You didn’t get recognition. Not enough.

Innocently, we start acting as if it’s true.

Sponsorship: Positive vs. Negative

Cultures and families “sponsor” their children in different ways. Some give positive sponsorship: You have something to offer the world just by being you. You are already valuable.

Others provide negative sponsorship: You must prove yourself. Keep achieving, keep hustling, keep pleasing. Your worth is conditional.

One message breathes life into a child. The other slowly drains it.

How We’ve Been Conditioned

Edward Bernays, nephew of Freud and often called the father of public relations, understood this dynamic. He discovered that companies could sell more if they played to insecurity:

• Not attractive enough? Buy this perfume.
• Not successful enough? Drive this car.
• Not lovable enough? Wear these clothes.

He knew people often act on unconscious beliefs—“I need to look good or I’ll be judged”—rather than their actual needs—“I just need a pair of shoes.”

Advertising and culture have become amplifiers of our quietest fears.

What’s Already True

But here’s what’s already true of you—before you achieve, accomplish, or prove anything:

• You are always experiencing life through your own thinking in the moment. That’s why it feels so real.
• You are not your thoughts. You are the consciousness aware of them.
• Beneath the noise, you are pure presence—alive, aware, and whole.

This is the essence of the Three Principles: mind, consciousness, and thought at play.

The Empowering Truth

If you are searching for peace, love, or happiness “out there,” you’ll never find it. Because it’s not “out there.”

It’s here. Always has been.

You’re not broken. You’re not lacking. You are, at your core, the very thing you’ve been searching for.

And when you glimpse that—even for a moment—the myth of “not enough” crumbles.

You are enough!

With love,

I love including other voices, particularly any music videos that point to this truth I love to write about.

The lyrics are powerful! “Who told you you were not enough?”

I recently got pointed to Robert Edward Grant, and I love how what he talks about aligns with what I am passionate about sharing. Here is a short clip (look him up for a full version video); he delves into self-discovery, exploring what lies beneath identity and belief, and how true Knowing shifts our sense of worth.