Is It Ever Enough? A Journey Toward Joyful Living

By Sarah Pachter

(Feldheim Publishers, ISBN 1680255193)

Review by Meira Schneider-Atik

We all want to do better in life. We all want to do better for ourselves and for our loved ones. And when we make mistakes, we feel guilty about them. 

The problem is that so many of us are making the mistake of striving for perfection. Perfection just can’t happen. We’re only human. Instead, we should be working on being enough and doing enough. And now Sarah Pachter is giving us ideas on how to focus on exactly that. 

Perhaps the best and most important thing I can say about this book is that it’s EASY TO READ. As a person with ADD, while I love to read, it’s easy for me to disengage from a book. This one is a collection of short pieces so that the reader can consume it just one bit at a time. It took me only two Shabbat afternoons to read it. 

The book also includes a lot of personal anecdotes that make it very engaging by allowing the reader to connect. Most of us have experienced a lot of the things described in the book (at least in general) and so it’s very relatable. 

I myself have written about some of the issues that Mrs. Pachter describes but I love her takes on them. For example, she writes about tzniut (modesty/dignity) using the example of a famous painting. We don’t take a painting and put it into an oversized and overly-elaborate frame because then people will notice only the frame and not the painting. But we don’t put the painting into a super-simple bland frame that diminishes the painting’s grandeur either. Similarly, we should cover ourselves to draw attention to and express our real selves but we also dress nicely as a reflection of being made in the image of God. 

The author also has a refreshing perspective on forgiveness. She talks about forgiveness a lot but unlike so many other writers who discuss that, she includes the first step – validating the pain. Most people have trouble forgiving wrongs done to them because their pain hasn’t been validated. When people get hurt, their pain is very real and that has to be acknowledged before a person can start the healing process.    

While some readers may disagree with some of the author’s ideas, there’s so much of value to be found within its pages that it’s worth the read. Thank you Mrs. Pachter for reminding readers that we need to do the best we can and strive not for perfection, but for better, and that we are enough.