You are good enough

Download the free ebook, You Are Good Enough: and I Can Prove It!  

Have you ever wondered if you’re good enough?  We have good news for you.  We have the answer to that question and the answer is YES!  Follow along and allow us to prove it.

Let’s use an example.  How can I prove that an animal is a bird?

First we need to start by defining what a bird is.  What makes a bird, a bird?  Well they have wings, that is an excellent start.

Although it’s true that all birds have wings, it’s not enough criteria to prove that something is a bird, because bats also have wings, as do flies and other insects.  So we need more criteria to make certain that we know that we have a bird.

So what else do birds have?  They have feathers, they have beaks, they have hollow bones, they’re warm blooded, they have a spine, and they lay eggs.

 If an animal meets all of these criteria, then we can prove that it’s a bird.

… but it doesn’t have feathers or a beak nor does it lay eggs.  So it’s not a bird.

It meets all the conditions or criteria; therefore, we can prove that it is a bird. 

We need some clarification

So you can see how conditional logic works.  In order to determine if something is true, you verify that it meets all the necessary conditions or criteria.  But in order to be able to use this tool, we have to clarify a few things.  First of all, we need to know what it is we want to prove, and then we need to know what conditions or criteria need to apply.

Now, right away we have some difficulties in proving the statement “I am good enough,” because it isn’t very specific.  Good enough for what?

What does “good enough” really mean?

Most people don’t really know how to define what they mean, it’s just a feeling that they want to be enough.  That lack of specificity makes it challenging to come up with a list of criteria that we’re supposed to meet, so I’m going to clarify some things that I think it means when we wonder, ‘am I good enough?’

Researcher Brene Brown spent six years of intensive study to find out what makes the difference between those people who are brimming with confidence, happiness, success, love, and belonging; and those who struggle for it, and no matter how hard they try, they are always wondering if they’re good enough.  The answer to this question comes down to one single variable:  a person’s belief of whether or not they’re worthy.

People who have a strong sense of love and belonging, believe they’re worthy of love and belonging.  That’s it.  They believe they’re worthy.

So, using this relevant data, I’m going to define “good enough” as being worthy of love and belonging.

Definition:  Good enough = worthy of love and belonging

In order to be worthy of love and beloning, we have to have value.  That is the condition that needs to be met.  If we have value, then we are worthy of love and belonging.

The next step presents an additional challenge.  We need to prove that we have value, but how?  What set of criteria needs to be met, so that we can prove, without a doubt, that we have value?

How do we determine our value and worth?

People try a lot of different things to prove that they have value.  Is my value determined by how many friends I have on my Facebook page? Is it how many “likes” I get on my latest selfie? Maybe it’s based on how many people share my latest post, or retweet my latest tweet?

Is it how smart I am?  Or is it how talented I am, or how beautiful I am?   Perhaps it is how popular I am, or how successful I am?

Maybe it is what kind of car that I drive, or the size of the house that I live in.  Or it could be based on what clothes I wear, or how thin I am, or how rich I am.  Perhaps it’s based on how busy I am, and the length of my “to do” list.

Possibly it’s based on whether or not I’m in a relationship, or if I’ve met someone else’s approval (like my parents’ approval, my boss’ approval, my boyfriend’s approval, my neighbor’s approval, the cool kids’ approval, and so on).

Maybe it’s comparative, and I need to show that I’m the same as the people around me, or prove that I’m better than somebody else.  What criteria goes on this list?  What set of conditions work?

That list simply doesn’t work

Part of the problem is that people have tried all of these things and they don’t seem to satisfy the equation.  We have lots of examples of people who have all of these things, but still don’t feel like they’re good enough.  If people who are rich, beautiful, and popular still don’t feel like they’re good enough, then what more do we have to do?

This list of criteria seems hard enough, what more do you want from me?  What do I have to do in order to prove that I have value and worth?

Looking to the past to find answers for today

Well, this is not the first time in history that we’ve had a dilemma like this.  In the 1600’s in a time that could be considered the  pre-dawn of the enlightenment (or age or reason), philosophers had another difficult problem to solve.  They wanted to know how to prove that we exist.

How can we prove that we’re not just in some sort of “Matrix” situation, where we think that we exist, but maybe we really don’t?  What if life is just a dream?  What sort of criteria counts?  What list can we put in this box that would prove without a doubt that we exist? 

A baffling dilemma

Philosophers were baffled by this dilemma.  At first they thought maybe they could use the senses to prove that we exist.  We can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell, surely that must prove that we exist.  However, they ended up rejecting  the senses as proof because how do we know that we don’t just think that we are seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling?  How do we prove that we’re not just dreaming the whole thing up?

One French mathematician and philosopher, named Rene Descartes, contemplated about this dilemma a lot.

He pondered about these questions.  How can I prove that I exist?  How can I prove that I don’t just think that I exist?  Then he had an epiphany.  He realized that the answer was actually hidden inside of the question.  He realized that he can prove that he exists, because he was thinking about proving that he exists.  He said, “I exist because I think,” or in other words, “I think, therefore, I am.”  And recognizing that simple truth made all the difference.  The conditions in the box weren’t a long, complicated list of criteria; it was a simple, given truth, “I think, therefore, I am.”

How that applies to our situation today

So here we are today, pondering on the question ‘Am I good enough?’  And in order to prove that we’re good enough, we need to prove that we have value and worth.  So how can we prove that we have value?  What set of criteria satisfies the equation?  That’s a question I’ve pondered about a great deal.  

And just like the case where Descartes was trying to prove the impossible question of, “How can I prove that I don’t just think that I exist?” and found that the answer was actually hidden inside of the question, the same thing is true here.  In the case for the question, “How can I prove that I have value?” the answer is actually already hidden inside of the question.  It’s not, “Do I have value?”  It’s actually, “I do have value.”  It is a simple, given fact that all people have inherent value.  It is our birthright.  We have value simply because we exist.

A second enlightenment

I earnestly proclaim that every human soul has intrinsic value.  It is your birthright.  It is a given fact.  It is time for a second “enlightenment,” where we recognize and accept the obvious truth that you and I have worth and value simply because we exist.

We’re ready to complete the proof

So now we have enough information to prove logically that I am good enough, and that you are good enough.  And we’re going to do it in a couple steps.

The first step was already proved to us by Rene Descartes; he concluded that I think, therefore I am.

Then, given the fact that all human souls have intrinsic, inherent value; it follows then that, I am, therefore I have value.

Then, we can prove that because I have value, then I am worthy of love and belonging.  

Then, by definition, we can prove that because I am worthy of love and belonging, therefore I am good enough. 

To summarize, the logical proof looks like this

You are good enough.  You are good enough right now as you are.

It is time for a second enlightenment.  It is time to recognize the truth that all human souls have value and are worthy of love and belonging.  It is time to recognize and accept the fact that you are good enough, and not worry about it anymore.  It is time to move forward.

The next step?

What is the next step in the equation?  That is entirely up to you.  The possibilities are endless.

Therefore, in conclusion, we have logically proved that you are good enough, and have amazing potential!

Download the free ebook, You Are Good Enough, and I Can Prove It! or purchase on Amazon.