Discover the power of 'enough'

There's a simple way to escape the cycle of discontent that can plague our lives

- Phil Slade

It was a warm spring day on Shelter Island, New York, when two renowned Lauthors, Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse-Five) and Joseph Heller (Catch-22), found themselves at a party at the palatial second home of a hedge fund billionaire. Perusing the opulent surroundings, Vonnegut mused to his friend with a hint of melancholy, “Joe, did you know our host only yesterday may have made more money than your novel has in its entire history?” Heller took a moment before replying, “Yes, but I have something that he will never have. The peace that comes with knowing I have enough." Whether the billionaire felt he had enough” was irrelevant. The point is that when faced with the prospect of feeling inadequate in the face of someone else's relative success, Heller saw beyond what he didn't have to fully appreciate that he had enough.

This is a lesson we all need to learn. When planning for our future, the question shouldn't be, “How much money will I need to retire?" but rather "What does enough look like?” What is enough accommodation? Enough connection with friends and family? Enough daily activities? We just need to take a deep breath and start seeing that what we already have is enough.