My journey from expert-level fitting in to true belonging

We want to be a part of something, but we need it to be real—not conditional or fake or constantly up for negotiation

Mercifully, it will take only a critical mass

I’m here to talk from my heart to their hearts. This is who I am

You find the courage to own the pain and develop a level of empathy and compassion for yourself and others that allows you to spot hurt in the world in a unique way.

Grief for the girl who never belonged anywhere and a longing to figure out who I was, what I liked, what I believed in, and where I wanted to go

I found my primary coping mechanism for not belonging in studying people

This is especially so in a world where the term “emotional safety” is often used to mean I don’t have to listen to any point of view that’s different from mine, that I don’t like, that I think is wrong, that will hurt my feelings, or that

As an introvert, I deeply value alone time, and I often feel the loneliest when I’m with other people