Advertisers Have it Wrong: You Are Enough

Wish you felt like this all the time? Don't we all. With all the balls we have to juggle these days, contentment can feel elusive. But to be fair, it's made harder still by all the external pressure around us.

Whether it's the consumer marketing we're being fed on the daily, or the expectations of our peers, partners and families, the message is always MORE - have more, do more, be more. Which implies we aren't enough. There's a never-ending hole to fill.

Thanks consumer economy.

It's important to detach our identities from the economic machine distributing these kinds of messages, instead of allowing them to influence how we measure ourselves and others. This probably seems obvious on the surface, but deep down, our subconsciouses are more susceptible to influence that we might like to believe. This is the central premise of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

In a world that's telling you that you have a hole, or that you have an unmet need (consumer or ego-constructed), let me suggest to many of you:

You likely already have everything you need and you already are everything you think want to be. You are enough.

Look discerningly at any message that tells you otherwise - they're usually selling something. And if not, its still worth asking, is that messaging nourishing you?

It's becoming increasingly vital to our mental health to think critically about all the marketing messaging we're being bombarded with everyday.

Have you ever listened to the quiet whispers of your subconscious while reading some of this stuff?

About ten years ago I observed my thoughts as I read a woman's fashion magazine and was instantly concerned about what I heard. Thoughts like "I want that" and "I need to get skinnier" were running in the background of my mind. I recognized how destructive and unhealthy it was for my self esteem and stopped buying them altogether.

I definitely recommend this measure (sorry fashion mags), but I'll admit its only one form of media out of the mix. Whether it's movies or tv, ads on Facebook or Instagram, billboards or radio, we're still receiving all kinds of messaging all the time.

So, short of cutting everything out and becoming a hermit, lol, I'd like to suggest that we use our critical thinking, and listen to our bodies when we read something. Do we feel good? If we're feeling depleted, shamed or not enough, it's good to consider what we've messaging we've been absorbing lately.

Why should anything make us feel that way? We're all born equal. No amount of stuff or status can change that unless we believe it.

This holiday season, connect with those you love, and what you love to do. All the other "stuff" (expectations, gifts, status) is just stuff. And the advertising to go along with it is just designed to trigger our carnal desires for social belonging - a desire which you can fulfill for free. How? By showing kindness and offering connection to those you care about. That's all.

Because you, just being you are enough.