“Enough” does not have to be barely enough or just enough – it can be fully enough! Growing Generous Souls talks about “an ethic of enough” as contentment (not complacency): the sense of sufficiency that prompts people to act responsibly toward others in gratitude for all they have received.

Sometimes what is fully enough is simple and beautiful. Like the “chocolate meditation” on a Grace and Gratitude retreat led by Christine Jurisich, founder of Retreat, Reflect, Renew. After she had led us in experiencing gratitude for the breath of life, for nature and animals, for people, and for God God’s Self, she handed out one small chocolate to each participant in the room. Encouraging us to close our eyes and slow down, she invited us to focus solely on our sense of taste. For many minutes we did nothing but savor the melting wonder on our tongues.

“I tasted all of it,” said one long-time chocaholic, “and it was enough!”

Discovering what is fully enough, moment by moment, does not have to be complicated. In fact, it’s often linked to a lifestyle of greater simplicity (another important behavior explored in Growing Generous Souls). Developing an ethic of enough and seeking to simplify the glut of things in our lives are both counter-cultural in the frenetic, consumer context in which many of us live. But learning to value what is fully enough can encourage us, helping us grow in gratitude and celebrate our lives, one beautiful moment at a time.

Betsy Schwarzentraub