2-3-4 Friday
‘Seeking to spark the most potential within you per word of any online newsletter’
1 thought
4 years ago, I moved back to
Singapore from the U.K., and promptly suffered reverse culture shock.
It was ironic that in September 2019, I was having a board meeting discussing about how we would deal with our multimillion dollar budget.
And a month later, in October 2019, I was seated in front of the psychiatrist.
Taking antidepressants.
We all face this at some point in our lives. When we move, transit into a new place, job, or relationship, and we feel as if we completely don’t fit in.
There are many reasons why we feel that way, but I’ve found that one of the root reasons is because we don’t feel that sense of belonging.
You might be having a conversation about what you find for life, and immediately find that the neat and tidy path that most people go on - job, partner, house, family, isn’t really for you.
Or you might find that the way you see things might be different.
One evening, a new friend told me
about a similar experience after he moved back. He said,
I don’t fit in, but I belong.
What is this sense of belonging that we are looking for?
I think it’s a shared sense of understanding that what you hold as important, is important, and
others do not try to change you for that.
Not fitting in sucks. It is painful. And the harder we try, the more painful it gets. The first step is to accept that you don’t fit in.
1 talk
You may not fit in, but you can belong.
1 tip
Maybe you are different. But at some point, finding belonging is about recognising that it’s built from inside you, not outside.
No one can tell you
- How to belong
- Where you belong
- Why you belong to a place
But belonging is a place you build. It’s a community you find worth contributing to.
And as much as we’ve heard this adage many
times,
It’s in the giving that we receive, (St Augustine)
If you’re feeling alone, lonely, and left out this Christmas, find somewhere you can be of help. Organise a party and invite random acquaintances you’ve met over the year.
You will be
surprised at how much you’ll learn.
John
Live Young, Live Well - Work Your Love
Think others might benefit? I’m counting on you. Forward this
on.