Togetherness


Writing Prompts

Belonging

Weave the abandoned parts of yourself back into belonging.


from Writing by Heart by Meredith Heller | Posted 3/24/24


Art CampBelonging is as necessary to our survival as food, shelter, and safety.

We are tribal beings. We need and want each other. We long to be included in the clan, to live in interdependence, and to participate in the natural tides of giving and receiving. Even those of us who prefer being alone seek belonging, whether to self, place, or something bigger than us.

Ironically, I recently heard of an online group of women loners. Perhaps even loners crave a sense of belonging with other loners.

So what is belonging? What does it mean, and what does it feel like to belong? For some of us, the sense of belonging is so natural we don't even question it, but for others, the orphans, outcasts, rebels, and loners, the separateness and loneliness of not belonging, not fitting in, not finding one's tribe, can cut holes in the fabric of self.

Let's look at four main areas of belonging: to self, to others, to community, and to something larger than ourselves. We need all four of these to help us roll smoothly through life. Consider each area of belonging, and notice which ones feel engaged and which ones could use some tending.


Four Main Areas of Belonging

  1. Belonging to self
  2. Belonging to others: family, partner, children, parent, sibling, friend, pet
  3. Belonging to community or place
  4. Belonging to something bigger than us: God, spirit, life force, nature

Where I'm From


Children ArtWhere does our sense of belonging come from? How do we learn what belonging is or what it feels like? How do we discern healthy from unhealthy belonging?

Let's go back to our childhoods to unearth the people, places, activities, experiences, and things that helped shape our first sense of belonging, good or bad. From here we can make informed choices about to what and to whom we belong. Shall we?


Body/Mindfulness: Close your eyes and cozy in. Follow the tides of your breath. Allow yourself to soften, open, and arrive in your inner world. Place a hand on your belly and a hand on your heart to help support you as you travel back to your childhood. Imagine yourself as a child. Call up an image of yourself, or simply sense into yourself as a child.

Allow one or a few memories to surface, good or bad, that gave you a feeling of belonging. Trust what arises. Gather the details. Notice people, places, activities, and things that elicited a sense of belonging in you.


WRITE NOW! Write about the people, places, activities, and things you belonged to as a child. How did this sense of belonging shape and influence how you meet your need for connecting and belonging?


Next: Zen Bones


Copyright ©2024 Meredith Heller. All rights reserved.


Meredith HellerMeredith Heller is a poet, singer-songwriter, avid nature lover, and educator who leads writing workshops and wellness retreats. ....

Writing by Heart

From the book Writing by Heart copyright ©2024 Meredith Heller. Reprinted with permission from NewWorldLibrary.com.