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True Belonging By Miranda Watkins I’m endlessly fascinated by how often seemingly random events or moments align (termed synchronicity) to become an opportunity of reflection or growth. Following on the theme of seeking solitude and connection to oneself as a source of comfort and connection, this Brene Brown book was literally waiting for me on a table in a foreign country and reiterating recent reflections...
Ha! I mused inwardly ... what are we in for here??
As you may know, I tend to refer to the work of Brene Brown and Dr Kristen Neff regularly in regards to accessing our authentic self in accepting and even inviting, vulnerability. This is in order to learn about loving oneself through responding to our human suffering with gentleness and kindness. Whether it’s through our inner mind chatter (being more encouraging and gentle) or our actions to ourselves and treating ourselves better.
So, in the quest for true belonging, I would like to share the definition from Brene’s 2010 ‘Gifts of Imperfection’,
“Belonging is the innate human desire to be part of something larger than us. Because this yearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it... now, wait for it.....
True belonging does not require we change who we are; it requires us to BE who we are...
However, this in itself presents a constant struggle at times in our efforts of seeking acceptance and ‘fitting in’, when maybe we can learn to just be and fit in to our self and all else can then connect.
It is a process, not just an ideology, and like everything the actual doing it is always painful as it takes courage to be real and honest, but ultimately rewarding and quite liberating.
If you want more? How can I actually work towards this? Well, maybe there is a retreat in this... maybe that’s why this little gem of wisdom was plonked under my nose! (Instead of the glass of Red)
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