Claire Berger is the author of the new book How Much Is Enough?: Getting More by Living With Less. She is also a stand-up comedian.
Q: What inspired you to write How Much Is Enough?
A: How Much Is Enough? Getting More By Living With Less was conceived underwater at the Prospect Park YMCA in Brooklyn. It was March 2021 and pandemic protocols were still in place and strictly followed.
I had just moved to New York and joined the Y to find community and a good swimming pool. The pandemic rule was that each person was only allowed to swim for 30 minutes and then relinquish their lane to another swimmer.
After the pandemic rules were lifted, everyone could swim as long as they like. But I had become a happy 30-minute swimmer. Couldn’t that be enough of a workout? As I continued to swim I started my own “Enough” inventory, thinking about all the other aspects of my life where I ask myself “How much is enough?”
Q: The writer Peggy Klaus said of the book, “In a world where we are encouraged to want more, buy more, and be more, How Much Is Enough? is a wonderful exploration into what truly fills us up.” What do you think of that description?
A: I am thrilled to receive this endorsement from such an esteemed author and corporate coach. It is an important reminder that what we have is, more often than not, more than enough. “More” doesn’t equal happiness, enhance our health or deepen our relationships.
Q: As an author and a stand-up comedian, how do you see the two coexisting for you?
A: My stand-up material was always rooted in truth and filled with personal stories, so writing How Much Is Enough? feels like a logical next chapter for me as a writer and performer. I look forward to reading chapters and inspiring conversations about Enough for audiences everywhere.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I recently read a study where this question was asked, “If you met your 13-year-old self and could offer just three words of advice, what would you tell her?” The overwhelming answer from the respondents was “YOU ARE ENOUGH.”
I want my readers to be inspired to do their own self-reflection on the concept of “Enough” in all aspects of their lives and come to the same supportive conclusion. We are all “Enough.”
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am about to embark on a six-month promotional book tour throughout the US and welcome the opportunity to join book clubs and literary events. For more information about my tour schedule, please contact me through my website: www.claireberger.com
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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