Enough is Enough….!?

So…when is enough, enough?

I put this question to the test this week with my daughter and her best friend.

I had a speaking engagement for the Annual Ryan White Conference in Orlando Florida on Wednesday (this will be the subject of this month’s Newsletter out next week). Since the girls (both 15) were on Spring Break I took them with me and we enjoyed a few days in Sunny Florida.

So, for several days I served as a chaperone, chauffer, and chief cook and bottle washer for “the Girls!” Now mind you, the girls were great! They said thank you for everything; they whined about little; and they spent thriftily (relatively). But me, the parent and surrogate parent of two Milennial’s spent the entire week worrying if I was doing ENOUGH?

You see, even though I am considered an expert in Workplace Culture Change and Generational Conflicts, I still struggle with these issues personally. During our trip, we each were simply playing our generational roles.   We can learn and benefit from one another!   From “the Girls” (Millenials) I learned that it is acceptable to want and expect certain things to nurture my self. From me (Baby Boomer/Gen X living on the cusp); “the Girls” learned, finally, disappointment.

Yes, it’s true; at one point I turned into Jennifer Lopez in the major motion picture ENOUGH! And I began to fight back; not violently like J-Lo, but in small ways.  Of all the “life experiences” I struggle to provide my kids (and their friends) I finally realized that “limitations” were just as important a lesson as, say, the piano; which conveniently ends in “No!”  A word as tough as a J-Lo kick to the solar plexus!

I began saying NO, and WE began enjoying ourselves more. No longer were we trying to please everyone everyday doing everything. We picked our spots and took turns and learned the joy of sacrifice and living vicariously through the pleasure we each individually experienced doing our “one thing” on any one day.

In closing, please accept the following lessons about “AWESOME Living” taken from my “Get Out of Bed and Go to Work!” philosophy. We are all individually and collectively HUMAN BEINGS, BEING HUMAN.  We are “perfectly flawed” (this saying of mine will soon be expanded into a blog) and so long as our efforts are genuine, sincere and well intentioned, our good enough is perfect!

Have an AWESOME week and remember… Enough IS Enough!