Que Sera, Sera — Embracing Enough
Author: Kerrie Mohr
Hurry Up—Now What?
Lately, a theme has been surfacing again and again in the therapy room. It’s the moment after something important—reaching a goal, making a big change, or arriving at a long-awaited milestone—when the confetti settles and the question floats in: *Now what?*
Maybe it’s after the ring is on your finger—only to realize that was just the beginning, and now the real adventure is learning how to laugh together when you burn dinner, or daring to tell the silly joke you’ve been holding in all day. Maybe it’s after you’ve decided your family is complete with one child, after enduring secondary fertility struggles that had you chasing that goal like nothing else mattered. You then find yourself shifting your focus to cherishing the small, everyday moments you share with your one child—reading together before bed, listening to their giggles in the bathtub, feeling the weight of their sleepy head on your shoulder. Maybe it’s after you’ve completed a big project, taken a leap into a new role, or closed a chapter you’d been working toward for years.
The high of *arrival* can sometimes be followed by a quiet deflation—like your mind, always hungry for the next thing, suddenly doesn’t know where to land. Without another goal in sight, it’s easy to slip into restlessness or start scanning for the next pursuit. If we’re not careful, that search for “what’s next” can rob us of the very moments that make life meaningful—the late-summer golden light, the taste of something fresh from the farmer’s market, the slow conversation with someone you love.
This season, I’ve also been aware of how much is happening in the world—news cycles full of conflict, injustice, and heartbreak. Many of us feel the pull to stay informed and engaged, and it can be hard to reconcile that with moments of lightness in our own lives. But here’s the truth: we can hold both. We can care deeply and show up for the world *and* allow ourselves to notice the smell of rain, the sound of a favorite song, the feeling of our feet in the grass. The weight and the joy can coexist—and sometimes, letting joy in is what gives us the strength to keep going.
This all brings to mind a song that’s long been dear to me: *Que Sera, Sera*. Doris Day’s gentle voice reminds us, *Whatever will be, will be*. It’s a simple phrase, but also deeply wise—akin to what the Buddhist tradition calls *non-striving*. Instead of constantly reaching for the next peak or staying stuck in the heaviness, we pause. We receive. We let ourselves be here, without rushing to “solve” what’s next or carry it all alone.
How to Practice Non-Striving in Everyday Life
- Name the “arrival.” Take a moment to notice what you’ve just completed, chosen, or experienced. Acknowledge it before rushing on.
- Find your five senses. Ask: what can I see, hear, feel, smell, and taste right now that’s worth savoring?
- Trade “what’s next?” for “what’s now?” When your mind leaps forward, gently guide it back to something unfolding in this exact moment.
- Let joy be small. The little things often carry the most meaning:
- the first sip of your morning coffee or tea
- a genuine smile from someone you pass on the street
- a song you forgot you loved playing in the background
- the warmth of sunlight through the window
- Practice “enough.” Let these words sink in, in whatever way feels true for you:
- *This, right here, is enough.*
- *I have enough. I am enough.*
- *I don’t have to earn this breath, this smile, this moment.*
- *I am allowed to rest inside my own life.*
As we tiptoe toward the fall rush, I invite you to linger in the last easy days of summer. Let the cicadas sing you into the present. Let the sunsets remind you you’ve already “arrived” in so many ways. And when the hurry-up-now-what feeling shows up, you can smile, hum a little Doris Day, and say, *Que sera, sera.*