The world has changed so much. When we were younger, did it feel far easier to make connections and build community with your neighbors, or is that just me?
Now, not only do we live in a world that’s focused on digital, but we’ve been isolated for the last two years because of a pandemic.
If you feel like you don’t belong anywhere, but want to work on that, we highly recommend this book from #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness.
The Quest for True Belonging
Chances are you’ve heard of Social scientist Brené Brown, PhD, MSW. Over the years, she has sparked a global conversation about the experiences that bring meaning to our lives—experiences of courage, vulnerability, love, belonging, shame, and empathy.
In this book, Braving the Wilderness, Brown redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarization. With her trademark mix of research, storytelling, and honesty, Brown will change the way you look at belonging while mapping a clear path to getting to its core truth – being ourselves.
Our Crisis of Disconnection
In a statement that shocks no one, Brown argues that we’re experiencing a crisis of disconnection. I think that’s more true now than it was back in 2017 when the book was released! So what can we do about it?
Brown introduces four practices of true belonging that challenge everything we believe about ourselves and each other. She’ll help you fight through the wilderness, an unpredictable place of solitude and searching, to find your way back to your truest self.
After all, as she points out In this beautiful book –
“True belonging requires us to believe in and belong to ourselves so fully that we can find sacredness both in being a part of something and in standing alone when necessary. But in a culture that’s rife with perfectionism and pleasing, and with the erosion of civility, it’s easy to stay quiet, hide in our ideological bunkers, or fit in rather than show up as our true selves and brave the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism. But true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it’s a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. It’s a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts.”
Be You. Be Seen. Belong.
If you’re looking for connection and maybe even seeking it out through Meetup or virtually through options like Dunrovin Village, I highly recommend this book!
Brown’s beautiful prose makes this an easy read while, quite frankly, blowing your mind and your preconceived notions out of the water. The reviewers call it a “must read” and the “book the world desperately needs right now,” so we definitely think it’ll be worth your time.
Move beyond what you think about belonging and learn how to belong, true to yourself.
