Navigating College for Today’s Young WomanSample

More Than Enough

When my daughter turned nineteen, she already had four tattoos. While I’m not a “tattoo person,” I agreed to take her to get another (I figured if she was going to do it anyway, we might as well have a bonding moment). When she emerged from the shop, these words were inked in cursive on her arm: more than enough.

She said it would serve as a reminder that she’s enough when she believes she can’t live up to expectations. She explained that women her age often doubt if they’re enough or doing enough when it comes to living up to the expectations of parents, college academics, friends, looks, and so forth.

This made sense as my college students have also shared these beliefs. For example, I’ve heard:

• I studied hard for that test and still got a bad grade. I’m not smart enough.
• I showed so much love to my boyfriend, and I still got rejected. I’m not lovable.
• I received all As and one B on my report card, yet my parents gave me a hard time. I’m not a good daughter.
• I struggle with my weight. I’m not skinny enough.
• I suffer from anxiety and depression. I’m too broken.

It’s natural to have these thoughts, but we can’t let them consume us. When combating these lies, God says to reframe our thoughts to know what he thinks of us. There are several ways to do this, such as reading the Bible, listening to podcasts, attending church, and taking breaks from social media. However, the key is using these tools to change your thoughts and beliefs about yourself.

Write down what God says about you. Put reminders in places where you can see them. When you feel like you’re not enough, read them and remember that no matter what anyone else says or posts, you are enough because he says so.

Back to my daughter’s tattoo. We decided the words on her arm mean this: When you feel less than because you can’t meet the world’s expectations, God says you are more than enough, and he has the final say.

Question: In what areas do you feel you’re not enough right now?

Prayer: Tell God where you’re struggling. Ask him to help you believe you’re enough. Ask him to bring things or people into your life to remind you of this, encourage you, and continue to build a new mindset.