Fearing Not Enough

"Contemporary fear, fits into one of two categories: fear of not having enough and fear of not being enough" says Dan Baker Director of the Life Enhancement Program at the Canyon Ranch and author of "What Happy People Know".  Our prehistorical ancestral survival fear was programmed in our reptilian brain and is only overcome by our neocortex (the "physical site of the human spirit"). Consequently, there is a delicate "oscillating balance in the dance of the spirit and the reptile". 

I've blogged about "enough" (e.g. Enough  and Joy to Stuff Ratio) but only about the fear of not having enough (i.e. money, pleasure, stuff, etc.)  But reading Baker's book these fears are inter-related and the second fear feeds the first - fear of not being enough (manifesting in power, status, perfectionism, etc.).

What is "being enough" and how do you measure that?  I think the flaw here is letting other people over influence our image of "being enough".  It reminds me of the Wemmicks in the wonderful spiritual book by Max Lucado ("You are Special")  that I read to both Jenna and Ellen during childhood.  Punchinello always seems to get "dots" in the wooden people world of the Wemmicks measuring each other with "gray dots" and "gold stars". Yet he learns that he is "enough" from the Creator. 

Yet it is a dance - between the spirit and the world.  Who cares how you look dancing - join the dance.