Yes, 3 Backups Are Sufficient For My Needs, Thank You For Asking

Enough, Or More? Your Happiness Depends On How Well You Choose

Photo by Maude Frédérique Lavoie on Unsplash. Cropped. Red lines and shading added by Author.

Finish this sentence: “There’s no such thing as too much/many ________ .”

Answers I’ve heard people give include fabric, camera lenses, clothing, chocolate, followers, note/books, pens, and garlic. Of course, for every item a person is happy to immerse themselves in, there’s someone who’ll disagree — sometimes vehemently. Money and cilantro come to mind.

Now imagine you could have enough of everything that’s important to you, just by asking for it. Exactly how much of each thing would you order?

Joshua Becker recently sent me this:

Do you have food on your table and a roof over your head? Are there clothes in your closet? Do you have love in your life and opportunity to serve others? If so, maybe you already have all that you need to be happy.

And removing the unquenchable desire for more may be the most life-giving decision you make today.

Enough is a reachable destination. More is a journey with no end.

It’s got me thinking about words like sufficient and scarce, and how we determine where to draw the line between them.

Too much stuff = not enough peace-filled spaces

Part of the reason I’m finding it hard to declutter the dwindling remnants of the pile of stuff in my home I’ve affectionately labelled Mount Everest, is a subtle but pervasive feeling of not having enough. And feeling that “enough” is an essential ingredient of being safe.

The problem is, when it comes to stuff, I don’t actually know what enough looks like. Add that to the fact that I’ve somehow managed to store the energy of unprocessed emotions and trauma in physical items, and you can see I have a complex situation on my hands.

I’m fortunate to be safe in the ways that matter most, so this fear probably stems from work I’ve yet to do on healing the frightened child who lives in my subconscious. Bit by bit I’m sending waves of reassurance their way, and bit by bit they’re relinquishing the debilitating control they’ve had over me for longer than some (many?) of you have been alive.

You’re allowed to need more/less/different backups than me

This week on Mastodon I posted (again) about the importance of backing up your work. After describing how I have three separate backup locations for my Mac plus an additional incremental backup for a single, vital file in my Obsidian vault, and that I’d just backed up the post talking about this on my clipboard, Elizabeth Tai called it “on another level”.

Really?

Oh! Right. It’s that safety thing again.

Anyway, on looking back at it I was glad to observe that for me, this number of backups is perfect; I don’t wake at night sweating about when I’ll be able to add the next one. Even if it seems overboard to you, to me it’s enough.

FYI, my files are backed up to iCloud, Dropbox, Backblaze, and Crashplan. It’s not perfect, foolproof, or as many or as privacy-focused as some people prefer, but it works for me.

Feeling antsy? Try this

If you’re living with a sense of unease over how much you do or do not have of something, or you’ve recognised that you’re sometimes seeking More, rather than Enough, this ten minute exercise might bring some clarity (set a timer to keep you focused):

1. Write down everything you want more of (3 min)

2. Slowly re-read the quote from the beginning of this article (1 min)

3. Draw a box around the things on your list you truly do not have enough of for a healthy, happy life, then circle those that are your own anxious child talking (1 min)

4. For each item in the latter category, write at least two things you’re thankful for, that you already have (5 min)

Joshua Becker has walked his talk (and helped others do the same) long enough to know what he’s talking about. The unquenchable desire for more will leave you forever thirsty, no matter how many times you partake. Enough, however, that’s doable! It’s a reachable destination.

Please: if any of the things you lack are causing significant distress, or making you physically or mentally/emotionally unsafe, reach out to the appropriate support groups in your community.

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