Episode 102: Feel Like You Don’t Belong? How to invite authentic community through confidence, vulnerability, and self-connection.
Oct 18, 2021
Do you feel like you’re around people all the time but you never really feel connected?
Maybe those “only-one” thoughts start to creep in…
“People just don’t get me.”
“Everyone is more qualified than I am.”
“If I want this done, right, I've got to do it myself.”
And coming up behind all of that solitary contemplation, you think “ Gosh, this would be so much easier if I just had a little support.”
If this rings true for you, whether it’s among friends or family, in your neighborhood or your workplace, know that you’re not the only one who feels like the only one.
Community is vital. It’s what makes our experience in this world so enjoyable because it gives us the ability to be open and to share. We want to belong. Without it, we feel isolated.
So, how do we learn how to “belong”?
The key to belonging lies within our own willingness to present ourselves as we are. The path to self-acceptance is through vulnerability.
“We often try to acquire it by fitting in and by seeking approval, which are not only hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it. Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world. Our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”
-Brene Brown
In this episode, Karlee shares the most common thoughts that high-achieving women experience around solitary, “only-one” thinking. She explains how these thoughts actually exacerbate our feelings of isolation, and why we’re never really the only one in the room feeling the way we feel. You’ll learn why belonging requires vulnerability within yourself first, and how you can find and embrace community in a rather unconventional way through a surprisingly simple activity.
If you find yourself in the room, know this: You deserve to be there, you need to be there, and they need you. You are bringing something, and you belong.
The only thing missing is you believing it.
If you’re ready to embrace self-acceptance and vulnerability to finally open your gateway to connection, then this episode is for you.
People Mentioned:
Resources Mentioned:
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
TED Talk: How to Build Community When You Feel Isolated
Brené Brown on True Belonging | UPLIFT. (2021). Retrieved 13 October 2021
Connect With Karlee:
