What My Stepson Taught Me About Enoughness

Dan, Liam, and I at Camp Ramah

A few weeks ago, my husband and I packed the car and drove six hours north to visit my almost-16-year-old stepson at summer camp for visitors' weekend. Tucked deep in the far Northwoods of Wisconsin, his camp was everything you think of when you think of an idyllic camp: cabins surrounded by towering trees, the smell of pine and firewood in the air, clear lakes perfect for canoeing and reflection (double-entendre intended).

The visit was a short one, but meaningful, at least to me. During our visit, he was excited to share that the camp was organizing a special trip for the older campers. They’d be traveling to nearby towns, going to see a Packers game, staying in hotels, going out to restaurants, shopping at local stores. It was a mini road trip designed to give them some independence and fun before the summer came to a close.

As he shared the details, my husband, without skipping a beat, pulled out his wallet and offered him some cash. Just a little spending money. Enough to enjoy a meal out, buy a souvenir or two, maybe pick up something cool for himself or for friends. It was a generous but common thing to do - one you make when you want a young person to feel empowered, independent, and able to enjoy themselves.

But then, something surprising happened.

He said, “No thanks. I have enough.”

Wait. What? Enough?

He didn’t just say no. He said he had enough.

It was one of those moments that stops you with surprise. A sentence so simple, and yet so rare.

Who Turns Down Free Money?

Honestly, I was shocked. What teenager says no to money? What adult says no to money, for that matter?

I looked at my husband. He looked at me. We were both caught a little off guard. This wasn’t money with strings attached. My husband wasn’t asking for anything in return. It wasn’t an allowance to be earned through chores. There was no guilt, no expectation, no emotional labor tied up in the offer. Just a gift, freely given.

And still, he said no.

“I have enough.”

In my line of work—supporting people in their relationships with food, body image, work, money, and stress—I encounter the opposite of this mindset nearly every day. I see people striving. Aching. Hustling for more. More money, more acceptance, more control, more self-improvement. Even in wellness spaces, the unspoken belief often is: you’re not doing enough, being enough, healing enough. There's always one more podcast, one more supplement, one more productivity hack.

So to hear a teenage boy—who lives in a culture that constantly tells us we’re lacking—say he had enough?

It landed hard.

Redefining “Enough” in a Culture of “More”

We’re conditioned from an early age to believe that “more” equals better. That “enough” is synonymous with “settling.” That if we stop striving, we’ll fall behind, or worse—become irrelevant.

And this conditioning isn’t just around money.

It shows up in nearly every area of our lives:

• Food: Always searching for the perfect diet, the ideal weight, the body that will finally feel acceptable.

• Career: Climbing the ladder endlessly, believing our value is tied to productivity and accolades.

• Parenting: Feeling the pressure to do more, be more, create more picture-perfect moments.

• Self-care: Ironically, even wellness can become another exhausting to-do list we feel we’re failing at.

This obsession with “more” often leaves us disconnected from what we truly need, and certainly from what we already have.

But what if enough was actually a form of abundance?

What if, instead of always reaching for the next thing, we paused and asked ourselves: What would it feel like to know I am okay, right here, right now?

That’s what my stepson embodied in that moment. Not scarcity. Not deprivation. Just clarity.

The Wisdom of Enoughness

Let’s be clear: saying you have “enough” doesn’t mean you lack ambition or drive. It doesn’t mean you never want more or that you’ve given up on growth. It simply means that your self-worth and peace aren’t dependent on the next thing.

“Enoughness” is rooted in sufficiency. In trust. In groundedness.

It’s the quiet knowing that:

• You can enjoy what you have without guilt.

• You can take up space without needing to prove your value.

• You can rest without earning it first.

This is incredibly important in any wellness journey. So many people approach health with an “I’m not good enough yet” mindset. They believe that once they lose the weight, fix their relationship with food, manage their anxiety, or stick to a perfect routine, then they’ll feel okay.

But what if healing actually begins with the radical idea that you are already enough?

Reflecting on Our Own “Enough”

That moment with my stepson stayed with me long after we drove back home. It made me reflect on my own relationship with “enough”—where I feel it, and where I resist it.

So I’ll ask you the same:

• Where in your life are you chasing “more,” not because you truly need it, but because you’re afraid of being “less”?

• Where are you saying yes out of guilt or fear, instead of standing in the quiet power of enough?

• And where could you allow yourself the grace to say, “This is good. I have enough.”?

Maybe it’s in your relationship with food—choosing to stop eating not because the plate is empty, but because your body feels satisfied.

Maybe it’s in your work—shutting the laptop at a reasonable hour because you’ve done enough for today.

Maybe it’s in your parenting, your friendships, your spending habits, or your relationship with your body.

We don’t have to earn our way into contentment. We can decide, in small moments, to notice what’s already here. And sometimes, the greatest form of self-care isn’t adding more—but recognizing that what we have is already full.

Final Thoughts

That simple moment in the woods was a gift. My stepson didn’t realize he was teaching me something profound. He was just being himself—grounded, clear, honest.

But in that short exchange, he modeled a type of emotional and financial wellness that many adults spend decades trying to find.

“I have enough.”

Let that be an anchor when the world tries to convince you otherwise. Not as a limit—but as a liberation.

What About You?

Where could you practice enoughness in your own life this week?

If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment, send a reply, or share this with someone who might need this reminder too.

Until next time—

Be well, and be enough.