Enough--a Reflection by Jason Gould, Tai Chi Instructor

Enough

After working for the same company for nearly 15 years, my “secure” position was eliminated in June during a large-scale, companywide reduction in force, and I found myself suddenly without a job. I’ve been out of work for the past four months now. I must admit that it was wonderful to have the summer off, but the job search, which I started immediately after my separation, has been stressful and intense.

To date, I’ve applied for more than 60 positions with no success. There have been many sleepless nights. Reserve funds are getting lower than my tolerance. Frankly, I’m struggling to keep panic away from the doors of my mind.

But in my calmer moments, when I think about it, I see clearly that I have everything I need: I still have a roof over my head. I have not missed a single meal. I’m surrounded by loving family and friends. My job search has been active, and I’m learning a lot: I have plenty of irons in the fire, and many options left to explore. Despite my current circumstances and regardless of how I feel about my situation right now, the world — my world — is not going to end.

I have enough.

Spiritual and wisdom traditions throughout time and across the world have repeated this message of constant abundance. The Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu in the 6th century B.C., urges us to find satisfaction and joy in the things we already have:

The greatest calamity is not knowing sufficiency,

No greater calamity than the desire for gain.

Therefore contentment

with one’s portion of contentment

is eternal contentment enough. (Chapter 46.)

In the Bhagavad Gita, Hinudism’s primary spiritual text, Krishna tells Arjuna to remain detached and unconcerned about the results of our efforts:

Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass the wealth of spiritual awareness. Those who are motivated only by desire for the fruits of action are miserable, for they are constantly anxious about the results of what they do.

The 17th -century stone water basin at the Ryoanji zen temple in Japan bears the inscription, “ware tada taru wo shiru,” which can be translated as “I know what ‘just enough’ is.” The carving implies that we need only take or make what we need for this particular moment, and use precisely the amount of energy called for by the current situation. Anything extra is wasteful. This attitude reminds me of the petition in the Lord’s prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We need not ask for tomorrow’s bread, or a warehouse full of grain to guard against some future misfortune; we simply pray for, acknowledge, and express gratitude for what we have today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.

Drawing on this wisdom while teaching tai chi, I tell my tai chi students to not try to accomplish anything in particular, and I encourage them to stay in the moment — focused, free, and unconcerned with how well they are doing. I find myself saying things like, “Things will take care of themselves. If you make a century B.C., urges us to find mistake, simply note the error and move on. Do not linger. Do not try to force anything. Do not worry about the next move. Don’t take your practice too seriously. Just smile, and breathe, and keep moving with gratitude.”

As a teacher, these words are easy to say. As a student, they are difficult to remember and apply.

Today, I shall challenge myself to search for a new job in the same manner in which I try to practice my tai chi: I will remain calm, grateful, and content with what I have, here and now. I will not worry about what comes next. And because I am a teacher, I feel compelled to extend this challenge outward: As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday – and the retail madness known as “Black Friday” – can we all remember that we already have enough, regardless of what is on our table or in our shopping cart? Can we resist the urge to compare the results we are getting with those of others?