Belonging

We human beings have a basic need to feel a sense of belonging. But did you know that you ALWAYS belong EVERYWHERE? There is nowhere where you don’t belong!

This is a photo of me on Fort Myers beach in Florida.

I didn’t grow up near the beach — nor near any sort of body of water, for that matter. I grew up in the desert, with mountains and sage brush.

And yet, I feel a strong connection to the beach. I love the sun, the hot sand, and the organic richness of the water.

I love the beach so much that when decorating my home, I had the thought, “what about beach-inspired design?” But that idea was immediately crushed by thoughts like, “I can’t do that… the beach isn’t part of my identity… it would be stupid and fake of my to use beach-design.”

However, my perspective changed one day while pondering about the beach — I felt as though God reached down to me and whispered in my ear, “Mikelle, I made the beach for you!”

My heart leapt and my eyes grew misty.

Of course He did! He made everything for everyone!

He didn’t distinguish, “the mountains are only for these people… the tropics are only for these people… the snow is only for these people…”

He created everything in this world for all human beings, and we are ALL invited to enjoy it and be part of it all!

Although geography, culture, and appearance separate us humans, those differences are transient.

We are more connected than we realize. We are all one collective consciousness, learning together, growing together, hurting together, healing together…

Our humanity is the only identity that really matters, and as a connected humanity, we all belong everywhere on earth.

Maya Angelou said, “You only are free when you realize you belong no place — you belong every place — no place at all.”

The next time you walk into a board meeting and you’re the only minority present… the next time you go to church and you feel like you don’t fit in… the next time you feel like the weak link in your team… the the next time you feel misfit, under-dressed, too fat, too thin, too bougie, too poor, too city, too country, or too nerdy… know that that feeling is based on a lie.

You belong everywhere!