be here. be you. belong
September 28, 2024
“True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to BE who we are."
Our yearning for belonging is so hardwired that we often try to acquire it by any means possible, including trying to fit in and hustling for approval & acceptance.
Fitting in is the opposite of belonging.
Belonging is an irreducible need for all people. In the absence of love and belonging, there is always suffering.
Research shows that finding a sense of belonging in close social relationships and with community is essential to well-being.
We have to belong to ourselves — as much as we need to belong to others.
Any belonging that asks us to betray ourselves, is not true belonging.
Belonging is a practice that requires us to be vulnerable, get uncomfortable, and learn how to be present with people without sacrificing who we are.”
All the above, is directly from @brenebrown’s - book Atlas of the Heart
I have, too many times, tried to fit in where it’s clear I don’t. I’m guessing we all have. It’s one of the most painful things I’ve experienced. It’s like the hot stove I touch while 100% forgetting the last time I got burned.
Whenever something like this hits me, I am betting there’s another person who could use a little love, too!
Brené Brown’s research & books have always spoken to me as well as this poem - that moved me to tears the first time I read it.
You only are free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great…
~ MAYA ANGELOU
May you feel a sense of belonging within yourself and then be that in the world.
~ with love, Monique
#belonging #atlasoftheheart #compassionate #acceptance #enduring
#feelbetter #performbetter #livebetter#soulbones
