What You Missed That Day You Were Absent From Fourth Grade

 Feeling enough and whole is different from having enough or possessing wholeness. It is also different from intellectually knowing what is enough and what is wholeness..According to my understanding, it is realizing or experiencing fullness, or wholeness. As the writer says, " I am is a complete sentence." It is not a thing. It is an enduring feeling of wholeness or a higher state of consciousness, dwelling in the being zone. Wanting, and doing and having and possessing take us away from the state of being.

It is my belief and conviction that we all have a deep yearning for completing our I am sentence, for experiencing the wholeness and fullness. We all are thirsty for it. But sadly, we strive to attain it by creating and living in a world of doing, having and possessing and draining our physical, mental and emotional energy. It is like a deer thirsty of water chasing the mirage.It is like walking on the periphery of the circle looking for the center. No wonder why we feel exhausted and incomplete.

When I read something like this article or a poem or listen to a song or hum a song i feel like I am in the being zone. The doing and having merge into the being state. When I water the plant, hold the hand of a crying child, look at the shining stars, extend my helping hand, meditate with like minded people, or take a mindful walk, I feel fullness of living in the moment. I feel "I am  is a complete sentence."

May we awaken ourselves from the delusion and dream of seeking fulfillment from outer sources rather than living from within!

Namaste.

Jagdish P Dave'

 Mrs. Nelson taught kids important things about living.  We could use more teachers like Mrs. Nelson.  As for 'I am', not only is 'I am' a complete sentence, it may be the most important sentence we say.  'I am' is a person's essence and foundation, and it is from 'I am' that all the rest of one's life takes shape.  The only any one else and any thing else that I know is me.  I feel wholeness in my experience when I read essays like this one, and when I think and write like I am now.  What helps me remember that I have enough is realizing that I really need very little -- water, air, some food -- even though I have and enjoy much more than what I need.  I remind myself to keep it simple and appreciate the simple.  Having more than I need is a slippery slope to unnecessary suffering.  While I'm not self sufficient, I have and can get what I need.  I'm just me and I am enough.  As Rumi said, I'm not just the wave in the ocean, I'm also the ocean in the wave.  And remembering Mary Poppins words, "Enough is as good as a feast," also helps me.