12/21/14 Reading: What is the opposite of loneliness? Is it belonging? Because we as humans, need to belong. To one another, to our friends and families, to our country, to our world. Belonging is important to our sense of happiness and well-being. Our interests, motivation, health and happiness are tied to the feeling that we belong to a greater community that may share our common interests. Studies show that isolation and loneliness can harm a persons sense of well-being, as well as his or her immune system and health. If you dont feel like you belong, you are less likely to hang in there in the face of obstacles. If you are operating from the point of view that we are all alone and that others are separate, it can lead to feeling isolated and depressed. A sense of belonging to a greater community improves your motivation, health, and happiness. When you see your connection to others, you know that all people struggle and have difficult times. You are not alone. There is comfort in that knowledge. To instill a greater sense of belonging, look for ways that you are similar with others instead of focusing on ways you are different. To accept others and views that are not the same as yours may require that you open your thoughts to the idea that there is value in everyones thinking. You can find truth in even those who are the most difficult-to-understand even though you may not agree. To communicate acceptance is through acknowledging that you understand another’s experience, which helps you stay on the same side, with a sense of belonging, even when you disagree. Being active in a community helps you to recall some powerful truths about being human: Its not just you. We are all struggling in one way or another. We all have faults. We all share the desire for love and beauty in our lives. We all have hopes, dreams and aspirations. We all seek the truth within ourselves that will allow us to grow. When you are in a community, you learn that though we may seem different, we are inextricably connected by a fine, etheric thread of energy that is the component of all of life. It is this very essence of Spirit that binds us to one another. We are in this life together, this journey of awakening to our higher selves and the greater Life that surrounds all that is. And the journey can be made so much better with the help of like-minded people. Let’s do this together. Lauri Felson
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 23:23:51 +0000
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