“Among psychologists there is a wide-ranging consensus about what our core needs consist of. These have been variously listed as: belonging, autonomy, genuine self-esteem, trust, purpose, meaning, transcendence…” ~ Dr. Gabor Maté.
I truly believe that at the core of suffering and destruction we find ourselves in as humanity is our unmet need to belong, to be accepted and loved for who we are. As much as it is important for us to establish a meaningful connection with ourselves, it is as vital to have a sense of belonging to the greater world outside of us, to our families, to our communities and to our society.
The human need to belong is our core need responsible for our wellbeing, mental and emotional health and overall quality of life and yet loneliness is at its peak. Our social media “friends” and "connections" do not fulfill us. We feel more isolated than before. There is a forced artificial sense of belonging that it provides. We engage in likes, follows and sending memes all day long and yet we lack truly fulfilling nourishing relationships.
Our need to belong is stemmed from our ancestral roots and is linked to our survival. But if we are still surviving (consciously or unconsciously), we cannot achieve the level of emotional and mental maturity for us to thrive.
It has always been the power of community that drives progress and yet over the last few centuries we were made to believe it needs to be us vs them. We know that compassion, kindness and care have been underrepresented in our society for way too long. I believe getting along with each other is a missing piece in solving ongoing challenges we are facing today in our society and our world. More and more people sensing that working together in cooperation and collaboration is the only alternative we have in changing the aggressive paradigm we are experiencing. More and more people are longing to make connections that feel nurturing, to have support of their community, and be welcomed and accepted for who they are by their people.
In the next phase of our evolution as humanity community will play the major role. When we begin practicing opening our hearts, cultivating feelings of kindness, compassion and care, we will begin taking care of one another. Only together as a collective raising the energy of heart consciousness we are able to create the world we want to live in, and to build it on cooperation, connection, collaboration and community.
For those of us who are already in coherence and thriving it’s important to reach out and offer support, to encourage and inspire one another. Engage with your friends face-to-face, get involved in your community by volunteering your time, knowledge or other resources. Meet up with your local groups.
And if you need support, don't be afraid to ask for help. We are in this TOGETHER!
