Why do we feel like we're not enough?

I had a moment in a meeting (a corporate setting) where I felt like I wasn’t smart enough.

I noticed myself shrinking, second-guessing what I had to say; even though I knew I was capable. I’ve done the work. I’ve shown up time and time again. But in that moment, it was like a fog settled over me, and I couldn’t fully see myself.

Later, I sat with it because something in me felt disturbed– uneasy, unsettled.

And what came through was this: my ego was hurt.

The ego– the part of us that is shaped by comparison, fear, roles, and past conditioning believes love, success, or worth must be earned or proven.

It’s constantly scanning and wondering, "Am I better? Worse? Ahead? Behind?" So the moment it perceives someone as "above," it feels threatened, even if our soul knows we’re whole.

There must have been a part of me that believed someone else in that room was above me. That I had to prove something to be worthy, and respected.

I’m sure many of us experience this. That sharp sting of feeling “less than”… But if we’re honest, it’s often because our ego has also, at some point, seen itself as “more than” someone else.  And if we believe we can be above someone, we will also believe we can fall below someone.

It’s okay and even beautiful to acknowledge and admire when someone knows more about a topic than we do, or looks healthier than we do. That admiration can inspire growth and connection.

But thinking less than is when we give power to the ego. That’s when comparison becomes a trap instead of a teacher.

That moment I felt “less than” wasn’t my true self speaking– it was my ego reacting to a perceived hierarchy.

Ego wants to protect us by saying, “Prove yourself. Be more.” But that voice is rooted in fear, not truth.

And the whole pattern is rooted in separation.

A deeper truth:

The beautiful shift for me in these experiences has been this:
By doing the deep inner work, I am quicker to recognize the triggers and feelings for what it is– just the ego trying to protect me. And I bounce back so much more quickly.

I now know that it does not have to control how I act in the next moment. I pause. I breathe. I see the pattern. And I return to what’s real.

The thing is we don’t need to fix, prove, or defend. We just need to remember the deeper truth.

We are enough– not because of what you or I know or achieve, but because we exist.
As a spark of the divine in this human form.

The disturbance we feel at times?
That’s the invitation—to notice where the ego still clings to comparison, and to soften back into our truth.

And this shows up in our personal relationships, too.

Most of the time, we react from this place when our pride or ego gets hurt. We feel small, so we want the other person to feel it too. We say the thing that stings, we withdraw love, we try to win. But it never really solves anything.

Why?

Because in those moments, we’re not acting from truth—we’re acting from a place of feeling less than or more than. And either one pulls us out of connection, both with the other person and with ourselves.

This is why the inner work is important.
And it is an ongoing journey—one that invites us, moment by moment, to return to ourselves with compassion and clarity.

A gentle reflection:

Next time that voice says “not enough,” pause and ask:

• Who is speaking right now– my true self, or my ego trying to protect me?

• What would I say to a little girl inside me who just wants to feel seen and valued?

Usually, the answer isn’t to “fix” or “improve,” but to sit with the part of us that is afraid– and remind her that she is already worthy.

You're doing beautiful inner work by noticing this. Keep honoring those moments as they're openings.

 🙏