The Belonging Wound

Lately, the theme of belonging has been showing up everywhere for me.

I recently had a beautiful tantric massage session with a dear friend, where we explored the origin story of that wound. My five-year-old self, the one who learned to suppress her big, wild emotions to fit in, was finally allowed to express what she’d been holding onto for so long during this session.

That little girl felt like an outsider in her family. She learned early that big emotions were “too much”, that shrinking and people-pleasing was the way to stay loved. She believed love came when she anticipated what others wanted, not when she was simply herself.

I’ve been slowly unravelling those old patterns, peeling away the masks, learning to listen to my own voice instead of seeking approval outside myself. That’s brought me closer to a sense of authentic belonging... the kind that starts from within.

And yet, even when my mind knows I belong within my friendships, my community and this creative family, my body is still learning to feel that truth. To relax into it. To trust it.

There’s a story brewing here about belonging. Maybe it will find its way onto the stage at OUTSPOKEN tomorrow… or maybe it’s still ripening for the next one. Either way, I can feel it forming.