Life has been going really well recently. I have started to see the world in a different way; I have much happier perspective on life.
One of the key differences I have recognised in the last week or so is the difference between being a part of a community and being friends with everyone.
The people I smile at, catch the bus or train with, the neighbours I recognise but do not speak to are all apart of various communities. I do not need to be friends with all these people and it does not matter what all these people think of me. To be accepted into the community is a nice thing that is very important to me but I do not need all these peoples approval to be a part of their communities.
Then I have my friends. I care what these people think and they also are a part of the wider community. These are the people I talk in depth with, the people I care about and who care about me. They will not judge me for not agreeing with them and as they are chosen friends we are more likely to agree. They may reject me as friends but I have a lot of other friends. This rejection is not the same as being an outcast to the community.
I used to want the approval of everyone in the community, this will never happen and not something I really want anymore. Realising I can be a part of communities and belong without everyone’s approval on everything or being friends with everyone has given me a huge sense of belonging.
Writing this down seems like stating the obvious but it is something I have not realised before. I have had a very dark miserable view of life and it has made me ill in the past. These little realisations are changing my life completely.
