"Belonging is being somewhere you want to be, and they want you. Fitting in is being somewhere you want to be, but they don't care one way or the other."
In these 31 Days of October I am unpacking my learning from the book, Braving The Wilderness, by Brené Brown. She has been a favorite author for years. In this new publication she manages to build a sidewalk and curb in the wilderness where we can bravely tread.
Even worse is the feeling that you don't belong in your family. Perhaps they have priorities you can't get exicted about, or they push you to participate in an activity that you hate. Those tensions can feel like a lack of belonging.
Truly, it is a gift to bless other people with a sense of belonging. Being open hearted, interested, willingly to sacrifice for their good are all traits that people who create belonging.
Fitting in is a counterfeit of belonging.
More on belonging tomorrow.
Fitting in is a counterfeit of belonging.
More on belonging tomorrow.
I like how the quote describes the difference between fitting in and belonging. And it is so important to think how we welcome others and help them feel like they belong.
ReplyDeleteI'm not very good at fitting in. But I'm grateful to have found over the years a place where I belong--namely in my congregation. Thank you for helping me understand the difference and learn to appreciate what I have.
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