Second, the need to fit in and the ache of not belonging was one of the most painful threads in my own life

The brains of social species have evolved to respond to the feeling of being pushed to the social perimeter—being on the outside—by going into self-preservation mode

We feel hope and we know struggle. We see beauty and we survive trauma

I was alone. And it felt devastating

Permission to be excited and goofy and to have fun

my decisions to be on the outside of my profession kept me in almost constant anxiety and scarcity

That’s because it has the power to break our heart, our spirit, and our sense of self-worth. It broke all three for me

I’m doing that thing I do when I’m afraid. I’m floating above my life, watching it and studying it, rather than living it

My journey from expert-level fitting in to true belonging