No Part That Doesn't Belong

It's so easy to lose your sense of belonging. In a world that constantly challenges who and what you are -- a world that always seems to want you to become something else -- it's easy to fall into the mindset that maybe this world wasn't meant for you. I think that's a misunderstanding. You belong in this world. This is a constant and inherent truth. You do not have to earn it. Your existence is enough.

Nature, in its full and all-encompassing form, does not separate the worthy from the unworthy. It contains forests and deserts, flowers and fungi, predators and prey, creatures that inspire admiration and creatures that inspire fear. Each participates in the world simply by being what it is. And so do we.

We often mistake belonging for approval, acceptance, or understanding, but these are not the same thing. A spider does not cease to belong because someone fears it. A mushroom does not need permission to grow. A snake does not earn its place by becoming something else.

Belonging is not a reward for becoming the right kind of person. It is the condition of being here at all.

So if you've spent years wondering why you feel out of place, maybe you've been asking yourself the wrong questions. Instead of asking yourself "What must I do in order to belong," ask yourself "What if I already do?"