September 1: The Power Of Belonging
Why feeling included matters to all of us
There is something deeply human about wanting to feel that we belong.
We want to know that there is a place where we can arrive without having to explain ourselves, people around us who value what we bring and spaces where we can participate without wondering whether we are welcome. Whether it is at work, within our families, in our friendships or as part of a wider community, belonging can shape the way we experience the world around us and, perhaps more importantly, the way we experience ourselves within it.
This September, we are exploring The Power of Belonging, looking beyond the idea of inclusion as something that organisations simply need to demonstrate and instead thinking about what belonging actually feels like for the people within them.
Because being included and feeling included are not always the same thing.
You can be invited to the meeting and still feel that your voice is not valued. You can be part of a team and still feel as though you have to hide parts of yourself. You can live within a community and still feel completely disconnected from the people around you.
Belonging is the feeling that you are accepted without having to constantly adapt yourself to fit someone else’s expectations. It is knowing that your experiences have value, that your perspective is worth hearing and that you do not have to become a different version of yourself in order to be welcomed.
We All Need Somewhere to Belong
Belonging is not limited to one particular group of people or one particular area of life.
It can be found in a workplace where colleagues genuinely listen to one another, in a community where people look out for each other, in a friendship where there is no need to perform or in a family where differences are accepted rather than treated as something that needs to be corrected.
It can also be found in much smaller moments, such as someone remembering your name, asking for your opinion, noticing when you have been quiet or making space for you to contribute.
These moments can seem insignificant from the outside, yet they can change how a person feels about the space they are in.
When people feel that they belong, they are more able to participate, contribute, connect and be themselves. When they constantly feel as though they are on the outside, they may begin to withdraw, question their value or spend energy trying to work out how they need to behave in order to be accepted.
That is why belonging matters. It can influence confidence, relationships, wellbeing and our willingness to take part in the world or workplace around us.
Belonging Is Not About Being the Same
Belonging does not require everyone to think alike, look alike, communicate in the same way or share the same experiences. A space where everyone is expected to be the same may feel comfortable to some people while excluding others.
Belonging asks us whether there is room for difference. Whether people can bring their culture, identity, perspective, experiences and ways of communicating with them without being made to feel that these things are inconvenient or unwelcome. It means understanding that inclusion is not about asking people to squeeze themselves into spaces that were never designed with them in mind; it is about being willing to create spaces with enough room for people to participate as themselves.
The Feeling We Create for One Another
Perhaps one of the most powerful things about belonging is that we all have the ability to influence it.
We may not always have control over the culture of an organisation, the wider society or the circumstances around us, but we can influence the experience of the people we encounter. We can listen, make space, notice who is being left out, challenge assumptions, become curious about experiences that are different from our own or make someone feel that their contribution matters. These actions don’t need to be dramatic to be meaningful.
A Month of Belonging
Throughout September, we will explore what belonging looks and feels like in different parts of our lives, from workplaces and communities to representation, accessibility, identity and the everyday interactions that can either bring people closer together or quietly push them to the edges.
We will look at the difference between fitting in and truly belonging, the experience of feeling unseen and the role that individuals, organisations and communities can play in creating spaces where more people feel valued. This month is about becoming more aware of the spaces we share and the experiences we help create for the people around us.
Because belonging is something we build together, through the choices we make, the assumptions we challenge, the voices we listen to and the space we make for people who may experience the world differently from us.
Every one of us wants to feel that we belong. Every one of us deserves to feel seen, valued and welcome. And every one of us has the potential to help someone else feel that way too.
Welcome to The Power of Belonging.
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