Little life and belonging
we live with a quiet, often unspoken tension- the aching desire to be truly seen, understood and accepted , yet simultaneously, the impulse to hide, to hold back, to keep parts of ourselves locked away from others’ eyes.
the paradox of craving to be seen but fearing being known
It’s a feeling of home, of “I can exhale here and be fully myself with no judgment or insecurity.” Belonging is about shared values and responsibility, and the desire to participate in making your community better. It’s about taking pride, showing up, and offering your unique gifts to others. You can’t belong if you only take.
Radha Agrawal • Belong: Find Your People, Create Community, and Live a More Connected Life
deep privilege of belonging, and the way belonging affects us, shapes us and breaks our heart at a fundamental level.
David Whyte • Courage
define [be•long•ing] as: a feeling of deep relatedness and acceptance; a feeling of “I would rather be here than anywhere else.”
Radha Agrawal • Belong: Find Your People, Create Community, and Live a More Connected Life
If being ignored hollows us out, then being truly seen (not liked, not followed, not “engaged with”) but seen, can feel almost unbearable. Because while we claim to crave attention, many of us are silently terrified of what it might uncover. What if someone looks too closely and sees the neediness we have camouflaged as chill? The resentment we... See more
At the heart of exile, we must finally encounter the longing we have hidden in our own hearts. Longing is an impulse, born out of what is missing from us which we ache to return to, even if we’ve never known it directly. It aches too, for our homecoming.
Toko-pa Turner • Belonging: Remembering Ourselves home
The word ‘belonging’ holds together the two fundamental aspects of life: being and longing, the Longing of our being and the Being of our longing. Belonging is deep; only in a superficial sense does it refer to our external attachment to people, places and things.
John O'Donohue • Eternal Echoes: Exploring Our Hunger To Belong
Belonging feels like you are seen and heard. You feel alive. You’ve been invited into any given group, and you know you can be honest with the people in it.
Stanford Engineering Staff • Design to make a difference: How do we foster a culture of belonging?
When people feel like they belong, they are able to do their best and be their best. When we work toward belonging, we’re working toward creating a space where collaboration and cooperation can flourish. This is true for every kind of group, big and small. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, business manager, community organizer, or leader of any... See more