Belonging

 

I love that I captured my niece, Emerson, rocking her velour hoodie sweatsuit UP-dawg style at gymnastics; an outfit she has preferred to wear OVER her leotard, than a solo leotard lately. I should clarify, when I say, “at” I mean throughout the duration of her class. It’s amazing, — and when I look at it through the lens of Brené Brown’s work on Wholehearted Living, particularly Belonging, I find it innocent, yet brave. Get it girl; wear what makes you feel like You. Welcome. You belong.

Nearly four years ago, Brené introduced me to a new standard of living; Wholehearted. (explored in previous posts). I’d never heard of the word prior to her content nor had I leveraged the depth of vulnerability, courage, promise, honor and love it requires — for oneself, — in my life.

I recently crossed Oprah’s Super Soul 12/21 podcast episode with Brené, coupled with thoughts from her new book, (Atlas of the Heart), and watched her 2019 Netflix episode this weekend, (The Call to Courage), and discovered new light within wholehearted living: Belonging: what it is, and what it is not: Fitting In.

Brené’s perspective on Belonging and Fitting In is brilliant. Instead of finding a connection, she polarizes them on opposite spectrums of wholehearted living.

In Brené’s words, “Fitting In” is: 

“Assessing and acclimating.” 

“Belonging” is: 

“Belonging to yourself first. Speaking your truth. Telling your story and never betraying your truth. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are; and that’s vulnerable.” 

She teaches, and we learn through experience, that vulnerability is the catalyst to creating the foundation that is instrumental to living a wholehearted life; a life that leads with self-love, a commitment to oneself that leaves no space for anything else, but the courage it takes to stand in the soul-baring truth of our imperfect perfect authentic self, living out the mantra, 

“I belong to me first.” 

— I belong. — 

I don’t need to Fit In because I already belong— to me. And in that wholehearted space, I’m always welcome; I’ll only be.

I’ll take Wholehearted Living and the Belonging that becomes, over Fitting In any day. 

How about you?

🤍

Melissa, The Buzz 

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