I'm Enough, Oregon plate, Mini Cooper

One of the biggest issues I’ve dealt with in my life is feeling worthy.

Am I smart enough? Am I good enough? Am I thin enough? Am I pretty enough? Am I interesting enough? The list goes on and on.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels this way.

I had the good fortune to meet the woman who owns this car (while I was photographing her license plate). She said she’s wrestled with these questions so much she decided to get this license plate to help reminder her that yes, in fact, she is enough. And so are we all.

You are enough.  Yes, you really are.

Say it with me 3 times: I am enough.  I am enough.  I am enough.

(Actually, you are so much more than enough.  But let’s start here. For now.)

You Are Now - Oregon license plate, Honda

Whenever I catch myself worrying, it’s always about something that hasn’t happened yet. Every time I feel regret, it’s always about something that’s in the past. Whenever I feel bad at all, in fact, it’s when I’m not living in the moment.

Right now, at this moment, all is well.

In his book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, he says, “there is only this moment, and this moment is as it is.”

Life happens now. Love happens now. And that’s exactly where you are. You are now.

Breathe - Washington license plate, Toyota

I am continually amazed at how often I catch myself holding my breath.

And even more amazed at how incredibly good it feels to take a nice, deep breath. And then another.

It’s such a release to exhale completely and feel my shoulders lose tension and drop a good inch.

It’s like taking out the kitchen trash or cleaning out the old clothes from your closet.

Breathe. Deeply.

Now do it again.

You’ll feel like a new person.

Yahoo! Washington license plate

Dictionary.com defines yahoo in terms of Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. Stating that a yahoo is one of a race of brutes, a crude or coarse person.

But yahoo has also come to be an exclamation of joy and excitement.

If you’ve ever seen the movie City Slickers you’ll find the word used in terms of the latter definition. Remember? All these city folk are getting ready to ride out of the ranch, pushing a bunch of cattle through the wilderness on a journey they’re only slightly prepared for. Before they click their spurred ankles into the horses, they yell out in celebration “YaaaHooooooo!” Billy Crystal’s character does it twice because his first attempt wasn’t convincing enough.

Life is meant to be lived this way. It’s meant to be an exciting journey made all the more thrilling by our general lack of preparation for it’s twists and turns and unknown territory.

Yahoo! I say!  YaaaaaHooooo!

Thank You - Washington Plate

The top 3 phrases with the most power to transform a life are: Thank you, I love you, and Yes.

Being grateful for what we have opens our eyes even more to the abundance of good that surrounds us at every moment.

Sprinkle a few more thank yous into your day, every day, and see what begins to happen.

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.  -Meister Eckhart

Love More - Oregon plate

I always smile when I see those bumper stickers that say, “wag more, bark less”.

I think the driver of this VW Bug is saying pretty much the same thing, but in people-speak rather than dog-speak.

Love is patient, love is kind…

Love. Then love more.

Or, if you’re a dog: wag. Wag, lick, wag, wag.

Enjoy - Oregon license plate

Enjoy. Everything.

That’s all.

By Faith - Washington license plate

It’s amazing what you can do when you believe in something.  And not just believe in it a little, sometimes, or now and again when it’s convenient. When you have real faith–an unending, unconditional belief and trust–you can move mountains, create miracles and otherwise knock it out of the park.

Faith makes all things possible… love makes all things easy.
-Dwight L. Moody

Stay Young - Washington plate

Being young has it’s advantages: lots of energy, strong body, flexible muscles, optimistic mind, quick to love, trust comes easily…

The qualities of being young at heart are revered by wise people the world over.

Pablo Picasso once said, “It takes a long time to become young.”

Van Gough adds, “It is a pity that, as one gradually gains experience, one loses one’s youth.”

Frank Lloyd Wright said, “Youth is a quality, not a matter of circumstances.”

Stay young. It’s much better than the alternative.

It'll Do - Oregon plate

Sometimes–okay, maybe more like many times–we let ourselves sweat the small stuff. Spending WAY too much time and effort perfecting something inconsequential in the great scheme of things.

Next time you find yourself stuck because you’re getting hung up on the details, try reminding yourself that it’ll do, and move on to the bigger picture.

It’ll do.  Really.