one word: enough
I have lived my life on a treadmill of striving.
Always working hard to get things just right… trying to please everybody around me… thinking if I could just do more or do better, then maybe—just maybe—I’d be enough.
The tracks are stuck on repeat in my mind, telling me I’m not smart enough, not cool enough, not spiritual enough, not lovable enough, not _____ enough. Which leaves me just trying to run faster on the treadmill: exhausted, but no further along than I was before.
This year, I’m choosing to step off the treadmill, to shatter the record that’s been skipping for 34 years. My One Word for 2013 is enough.
No matter what labels others stick on me—or even that I stick on myself—His banner over me is love.
I am His.
I am loved.
I am enough.
My One Words the past few years have all been verbs—Risk. Look. Choose. This year, I needed a word that reminds me—even in its form of speech—that it’s not about doing more, but about being who He created me to be. And simply embracing my enoughness rather than striving to accomplish something.
I am not perfect, but I am enough.
I am not more than, not less than. But I am enough.
I won’t always fit in, or feel valued, or be loved well. But still, I am enough.
I won’t get everything right or accomplish as much as others do (or as much as I want to). I will mess up, falter, and fail. I will hurt and be hurt. I may be discarded, forgotten, replaced. But I am enough.
Those three simple words—I am enough—are so difficult for me to say. To accept. To believe. But I want them to sink down deep in my heart.
I am equally terrified and intrigued to see how enough will grow me this year. Here’s to the journey!
Lovely, my dear…
I have been on that treadmill for 51 years, and still trying to figure out how to get off. We are enough, created by God and paid for by the blood of his son!! How could that not be enough, but we still want to look at ourselves from the worldly vantage point. My pastor used the example of a $100 bill. He held it out and said how much is this worth, we said $100. He crumpled it up and said now how much is it worth…$100. Then he threw it on the ground and stomped on it, and asked how much is it worth…$100. No matter what happens to us, or what we do, or how we do it, we are still valued at God. Being a prettier or more active or ‘better’ $100 doesn’t make it worth more…it’s still a $100.
In the last few months, God has reminded me of my weakness, and that he loves my weakness because it turns my eyes towards him. When I’m overachieving, my eyes are on myself, not on God…maybe I am getting off that treadmill…:-) Love you girl, thanks for being just you!!
Happy new year!
@AleceRonzino says:
wow! so so good, thelma. thank you for the beautiful and encouraging words.
@amykiane says:
“Enough” was the starting point of my word last year which was “sufficient.” Like you I felt like God wanted me to learn that I was enough, sufficient, and to stop trying to live up to others expectations and definition of me. I also knew He wanted to teach me that He is sufficient. And that His grace is sufficient for all, for who I am and who I am becoming, for when I mess up or when I need to forgive others.
You will have an amazing journey with “enough” this year, friend.
@AleceRonzino says:
YES! so many layers to this sufficiency/enough-ness… the phrase that keeps rolling around is i am enough because I AM is enough.
I really appreciate your words tonight. I’m in my third month of the big move from the U.S to West Bengal, India and I was feeling a little overwhelmed, or maybe underwhelmed is a better word. I think I’m going to go back to bed and relish in the thought that I am enough. Thank you.
@AleceRonzino says:
mmmmm… loved reading your comment, lorle. thinking of you tonight…
@miller_schloss says:
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
@AleceRonzino says:
:: deep breath ::
thank you, becky.
Good choice.
@AleceRonzino says:
thanks, michelle. happy new year…
@xcwaterboy says:
this is a super tangent but there is a fun jennifer lopez movie called enough. Fun is actually wrong word. Kind of intense. But end of day JLO is all that is women, hear her roar. I think we watched it when we lived in South Africa. Anyway check it out and happy new year!
@AleceRonzino says:
i actually LOVE that movie! so… empowering! ;)
@nmwike says:
Such a good choice! I could have easily chosen that one, as well. I can relate to every single word of this post. Every. Single. Word. Sometimes I think you read my mind, then write a post. ;)
I’ve decided to join the One Word community in 2013 (along with Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare and 1000 Gifts), and I can’t wait to dig into both. Her kick-off for this year was “forward’, which I could have easily picked, too.
My word for this year, though, is NEW. Because I’m ready for it.
@AleceRonzino says:
so awesome, nancy!
@crittyjoy says:
What a beautiful word. As I read your post and the line about embracing your enoughness I realized how true that needed to be in my year too… I have come a long way in it but it’s something that He is still working in my heart on…
There is something beautiful about knowing you are enough. <3
@AleceRonzino says:
mmmm… so true….
Reading your blog is a great way to kick off my new year. Thank you. Love the idea of choosing one word for the year. Mine is PURPOSE. Walking with a purpose and adding things to my day with a purpose in mind. More of what I am planning for 2013 on my blog, allthingsgoodandwise.com
@AleceRonzino says:
love that, corine!
@standup8tweets says:
I love your word.
@AleceRonzino says:
thanks, sarah!
This is so powerful. What a beautiful word. I found your blog while looking through the community over at 365 and was really impressed with your writing and faith. I think it can be really challenging as Christian women to feel like we are “enough.” Of course the adversary is going to trick us with the basic beauty that because of Jesus we are complete. It certainly doesn’t help that our culture is the same. What a brave way to conquer that!
My word is: authenticity. I will be blogging about it on Friday :)
@AleceRonzino says:
LOVE your word, too! authenticity is such an important value to me…
@bbalan2 says:
Love this word for you friend.
I’m still pondering my 2013 one word.
@AleceRonzino says:
you landed on “abide”, right? i love that.
@hopefulleigh says:
This is huge, Alece. To really value and accept yourself…this year is going to change you in good ways. I’m so proud of you for taking the first step toward believing you’re enough. Love you, friend!
@AleceRonzino says:
here’s to an interesting and challenging journey!
love you too!
@vaderalman says:
Relish your journey Alece! Against God’s plume line we are all found wanting. With Jesus as our Lord we are all found enough.
@AleceRonzino says:
amen.
@truebluebrenda says:
LOVE THIS. This is a powerful word for me too. Looking forward to hearing about your journey!
@AleceRonzino says:
thanks, brenda!
Love this!
@AleceRonzino says:
do you have a word for 2013?
@kimtrick says:
Alece! I’ve been lurking around these parts for way too long without really joining in on the conversation… BUT, I was just getting ready to put my annual One Word post up and recap that the big theme I’m taking away from 2012 is that I’m enough. It’s taken me 12 months to walk away with that. So imagine how excited I was to see this post. God is clearly doing something. Grateful for you and for One Word 365!
@AleceRonzino says:
so glad you de-lurked!!
incredible to hear that “enough” was your take-away from this past year. gives me hope!
After years of championing resolution lists and goal achievement, this whole one word thing is a sweet gift of release, yet challenge!
REVEAL is the word God has given me, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of it all!
http://creeksideministries.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-word-for-2013-is_3.html
@AleceRonzino says:
love that, linda!
I just felt something inside me release when I read your word. I was brought to your site by Matt @ The Church of No People. The word I chose was “joy” from reading John 17:13.
The problem with not enough for me is that my own feelings of “not enough” sometimes spill out into my expectations of others. So maybe I will keep “joy” as my one word for myself and “enough” for my one word for my relationships with others. Does that break the rules?
@AleceRonzino says:
don’t worry about breaking rules — there aren’t really any anyway. ;)
@katdish says:
Enough. I love that. The moment I saw that word on your page, the song Good Enough by Sarah McLachlan immediately came to mind. And while the lyrics seem to suggest a woman struggling to believe she is good enough after a broken relationship, for me, there always seems to be a bit of that woman in me–from each broken relationship I have encountered:
So don’t tell me why
he’s never been good to you
don’t tell me why
he’s never been there for you
don’t you know that why
is simply not good enough
so just let me try
and I will be good to you
just let me try
and I will be there for you
I’ll show you why
you’re so much more than good enough…
I suppose that’s why I love your word choice so much. Because we really are good enough. With Him, because His grace is sufficient, His power made perfect in our weakness, we just need to trust and believe that. So, thank you.
I’ve not done this before, but I’m working on my own one word for 2013.
@AleceRonzino says:
this is beautiful… thank you.
@AleceRonzino says:
did you end up landing on a word?
@katdish says:
Yes. Perspective. Still working on a post.
Alece,
It’s nice to stop by here and to hear your one word. I haven’t done that before. I am hopping over here after seeing Sheryl mention your name. Are you a TCK too?
Have a great week,
Jennifer Dougan
http://www.jenniferdougan.com
@AleceRonzino says:
i’m not — at least not in the usual sense. i lived in africa for 13 years as an adult, so i’ve got a bit of TC-ness in me for sure…
so nice to meet you, jennifer!
@julespreever says:
I bought a necklace a couple years ago and this post reminded me of it. I still wear the necklace all the time. Love it. Great word.
http://www.belkaidesigns.com/CatalogueRetrieve.aspx?ProductID=5440440&A=SearchResult&SearchID=3364888&ObjectID=5440440&ObjectType=27
@AleceRonzino says:
ooh! i love that!
@julespreever says:
Right! She’s got another style on there, as well, but I’m a silver girl. The other one is bronze, I believe.
Books by Brene Brown develop the “I am enough” theme, and my only route to concluding this truth–is that I am redeemed by the Lord of the Universe that loves me and gave his life for me, as in Gal 2:20. Would love any suggestions out there for Christian books that develop the same theme? Anyone???
Alas, it probably parallels Ephesions “sit, walk, stand”, the being/not doing aspects, so I’m wondering if other “achiever personalities” (like me) have found good texts–because I sure do benefit from many sources of thought.
Thanks.
@AleceRonzino says:
i actually just ordered Brene Brown’s books. looking forward to diving into them. hope others recommend some other books as well!
Love is the word for me this year.
I need to feel it and know it’s okay to accept.
I need to give it in huge quantities to my children. Not because they don’t know it in their heads, but I never want them to wonder how much they are loved…by me.
I need to recognize UN-lovely behaviour and don’t get sucked into thinking it’s okay. It’s really never okay.
I need to become a channel of it for whomever I meet…cause…it’s getting closer and closer to the time when the love of most will grow cold. I don’t want to become one of the most.
@AleceRonzino says:
“i need to feel it and know it’s okay to accept.” YES. THIS. praying this for you, michelle.