Surrounding ourselves with a diverse group of people allows us to learn more about who we are and who we are not, as well as where we fit in and where we don't. What we admire in other people and what we don't. These are crucial aspects of ourselves to comprehend because, as human beings, we require a sense of belonging, a sense that we can connect to and understand others, and that they can understand us in return—deeply it's ingrained in us.
But what if you start to feel as though you don't fit in anywhere? What if you're stuck somewhere you don't want to be but have no idea where else to go?
Despite the fact that we're all sailing in different boats, carrying different bags, and heading in different directions, we all want to feel like we belong. We require a sense of belonging. Somewhere. Anywhere. Despite this, the sense of not belonging is one of the most common human feelings. And, sometimes, we become so anxious to fit in that we strive to conform to what we believe society, our friends, or our family expects of us. We make an effort to become someone we aren't. We force ourselves to do things we don't want to do. We go to someplace we don't really wish to go. We spend time with persons we don't want to be with.
All in the hopes of finding our place in this world, we lose ourselves.
"Because genuine belonging only comes when we expose our authentic, flawed selves," says Brené Brown in a quote. Our sense of self-acceptance will always be richer than our sense of belonging in the world. So, I began to consider two possibilities: First and foremost, can we truly exhibit our true self if we don't know who we are? Perhaps it was why so many individuals felt as though no one understood them—they didn't really understand themselves. Second, how often do we do what is required of us rather than what we truly want to accomplish? One should make a conscious decision to concentrate on those two factors. Getting to know oneself better and choose one's own path rather than following in the footsteps of others.
Here's why it's important. Our surroundings have a significant impact on us. Everything about ourselves, from how we think to how we act and feel. If you choose your surroundings based on your desires, you are more likely to wind yourself in a location where you feel at ease. Either with people or just with the environment.
If you chose your surroundings based on what you believe is expected of you, on the other hand, you are more likely to wind yourself in a situation where you don't feel at ease. Neither with the people nor with the environment.
The point is that feeling at home has nothing to do with where you are in the world; it has everything to do with realizing that home is a person. You're the one. The tough thing, no matter where you are in the world, and no matter how clichéd it sounds, is figuring out who you are. The sensation of belonging is comparable to the sensation of love. It's something we're constantly looking for.
Perhaps we find it early in life and it lasts a lifetime, perhaps we find it and lose it shortly, or perhaps we lose it again. It's possible we haven't even found it yet. And that's just the way things go in life.
What matters is that we should never stop looking.
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