'That Would Have Been Enough' - The Ancient Secret to Gratitude and Overflow
- Alan Lowis
- May 23, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 30, 2025
By Alan Lowis
What if you already had everything you need to feel full, grateful, and at peace?
What if the secret to joy wasn’t more… but finally noticing what already is?
This is not just an idea. It’s a deep spiritual truth echoed across cultures, religions, philosophies, traditions and centuries—from ancient Judeo-Christian wisdom to Buddhist mindfulness, from Greek & Roman Stoic clarity to mystic Sufi & Hermetic thought, from the ancient Chinese Tao to modern neuroscience.
Below you’ll find Chapter 1 of the book Have Everything by Wanting Nothing - The Ancient Art of 'That Would Have Been Enough'—a powerful invitation to shift and expand how you see and experience each day - finding joy, gratitude and peace and unlocking the doors to a life overflowing with more than you could ever imagine.
Or if you’d rather read the full book now:
👉 Download the full .pdf here
🎵 Listen to the Song
To truly feel the emotion behind the message, be sure to listen to the song.
Music reaches the parts of us words alone often miss. The song will touch your core and brings the emotions of the book to life—let it wash over you as a meditation, a reminder, a gift. Play it and celebrate your life.
Share the Blessing
If it touches you, consider sharing this page with someone you love. A reminder that they matter. That they already have more than they know. That to you, they would have been enough.
CHAPTER 1
We Already Have So Much. So Why Do We Feel Like Something’s Missing?
There’s a timeless idea in transcendentalist philosophy—Emerson and Thoreau whispered it from the woods of Walden—that wealth is not how much you have, but whether you have a penny more than you need. And poverty? It’s being a multi-millionaire and still feeling like you don’t have enough.
That idea is profound and powerful.
Because when you stop and really think about it—what do we truly need to survive? To be fulfilled? To wake up feeling truly centered and say, "This moment is enough"?
Most of us (in the developed world) already have far more than we need.
Breathable Air, Abundant Food. Clean Water, Shelter. Some degree of health and access to at least some modern medicine.
And, of course, limitless opportunities if we are able to get beyond fear and see them.
But it’s easy to forget. Easy to live in fear and want. Easy to ache for more. Easy to take for granted.
It reminds me of a story:
Two young salmon were swimming upstream when an older salmon passed by and said, "How’s the water today, boys?"They nodded silently, and kept swimming. A few minutes later, one turned to the other and asked, "What’s water?"
When the blessings are everywhere, we often don’t even seem them all around us.
That’s why I found myself circling back to one of the most powerful ideas I know, one that echoes across history, religion, and philosophy. And since it’s Passover and Easter time as I write this, we will start with it’s roots in the the Story of Exodus. The concept:
“Dayenu”… “It would have been enough."
What Comes Next…
If Chapter 1 sparked something in you—you’re just getting started.
That Would Have Been Enough is a journey through ancient wisdom and modern science, spiritual traditions and practical tools—all guiding you back to the truth you already sense deep down: You are already surrounded by extraordinary miracles and unlimited blessings.
Across these pages, you’ll explore:
Profound teachings from Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Stoicism, and Indigenous traditions
Insights from psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics
Powerful ideas like the Law of Inversion, emotional reprogramming, the impact of repetition, and the hidden cost of "wanting"
Stories that heal
A song to help you remember
Plus -- Powerful exercises to expand your perspective and change your life.
This book is not about giving up or "wanting nothing."It’s about waking up—to beauty, to presence, and to a state of "wanting for nothing."
It’s a gentle reminder of a deeper truth: That you already have everything you need. And that when you truly feel “enough”…Life will begin to overflow with everything your heart could ever desire.
To continue reading the full book, access the Bonus Exercises, and welcome 'Enough' into your future, download your Free Copy:
👉 Download the full .pdf here
That Would Have Been Enough (LYRICS)
By Alan Lowis
If we only had life,
that would have been enough
If we only had breath,
that would have been enough
If we only had love,
that would have been enough
But the gifts, keep, falling, like rain.
If we only had sight — the beauty of the sky
If we only had sound — a sweet lullaby
If we only had touch — a warm hand to hold
Life's magic moments - they're worth more than gold
Love flows like a river through my veins
And when I’m grateful, there’s no room for pain
So much joy… I just can’t explain
That would have been enough — again and again
If we only had life,
that would have been enough
If we only had breath,
that would have been enough
If we only had love,
that would have been enough
But the gifts, keep, falling, like rain.
If we only had laughter — the joy of a friend
If we only had kindness — a love with no end
If we only had stars — to light up the night
If we only had dreams — taking off, giving flight (that would have been enough)
Love flows like a river through my veins
And when I’m grateful, there’s no room for pain
So much joy… I just can’t explain
That would have been enough — again and again
If we only had life,
that would have been enough
If we only had breath,
that would have been enough
If we only had love,
that would have been enough
To continue reading the full book, access the Bonus Exercises and welcome 'Enough' into your future, download your Free Copy:
👉 Download the full .pdf here
Share the Blessing
If it touched you, consider sharing this page with someone you love. A reminder that they matter. That they already have more than they know.
That for you, they would have been enough.
