01/04/2026
For so many of us, belonging was always conditional:
on behavior
on usefulness
on silence
on emotional labor
on achievement
on holding the family together
on not needing too much
These expectations rid us of the safety of always having somewhere to relax and let our nervous system be. This is why belonging can feel unfamiliar, even unsafe.
Not because it is dangerous, but because it is new. Have you found your Safe Space yet? Or are you still struggling and performing to belong?
