To belong

Who are you really? What do you stand for? What are your hopes and beliefs? What are your prejudices and fears?

We work all our lives to fit in. To be one in the group. To be one of the tribe. But what if that tribe isn’t yours? What if all your efforts are wasted on a tribe that really isn’t for you? What if somewhere there’s a group of people where you would feel as if you really belong, but you just haven’t found them yet? 

You need to find out who you really are to be able to find your kind of people. What do you really believe in? What values do you hold so dear that they have to be shared by your tribe? What values are of minor importance that it doesn’t matter if others think differently?

Getting to know yourself can be difficult. You’re likely to find out things that you don’t really like. Opinions you don’t approve of. You need to work with all of it. Get all out in the open. Not for everyone to see, but make sure you see it. No hiding behind false pretenses. 

Try to understand why you believe what you believe. Try to understand your world view and how that came about. Only when you know where you truly stand can you work to make a change. If there’s an area where you feel that you’re lacking in knowledge, get educated. Don’t just assume you know why things are the way they are. Do the research and find out if your assumptions are true. 

Every time you challenge your beliefs and come to the conclusion that you were totally wrong. That your assumptions were way off target. That you really had no idea. You’ll grow and become a more enlightened person. But at the same time, you’ll become even more humble to the fact that there’s so much in this universe that we know nothing or very little about. 

In the grand scheme of things, your life and its struggles mean nothing. But to you it’s everything. You have to find that balance. Surrounding yourself with people who share your struggles will make it easier to cope. 

Find your tribe. They will give you strength and a sense of belonging. They will challenge you to become a better person. They will not let you off the hook. They will not let you hide. They will see you for who you are.

Scary, yes. But even more so, thrilling. 

Photo by Anastasia Petrova on Unsplash