Belonging

Some of us are renegades and misfits. We swim against the current. We’d rather be genuine than fit in
and have a strong sense of our values, even when they are counter cultural.

Maybe you have always been this way or maybe like me you’ve spent years trying to fit into the mold,
trying to make yourself a round peg to fit into that hole.

Time has brought me confidence in my uniqueness. The realization that it is much more satisfying to be
real than to be accepted as someone you are not. Because what’s the point in that?

A beautiful thing happens when you decide to stand for your principles and be your true self. You find
the value in your choices and you also find “your tribe.” Your realize there are others like you who go
against the grain, who break cycles and who can’t take the easy way even when doing so would make
life a whole lot simpler.

I recently read something on the difference between belonging and fitting in. Belonging is being
accepted for who you truly are, whereas fitting in is being accepted for an image you project. You must
change yourself in order to fit in. When you make the choice to live authentically it helps encourage
others to boldly be who they are as well. And being accepted for who you truly are is a much richer
experience than being accepted for what you think someone else wants or expects you to be.

Here’s to the square pegs that don’t fit in the round holes. Here’s to the misfits and renegades that live
in alignment with their values, even when it’s costly. Here’s to the genuine, the real, and the raw. Come
as you are, there’s always room for you at the table and we can’t wait to hear your story.