Have you ever think about or lived what it feels like to be lifted up by a group of people after doing something extraordinary that makes your team win? Well, for me, that is what I feel when I am part of a circle.
This practice has been part of my life for several years already and changed my relationship with my emotions and community concept. I remember my first circle like it was yesterday because even though it was uncomfortable to be surrounded by strange women talking about their most intimate thoughts and feelings, I felt at home. I felt like I had always belonged and that these women that looked into my eyes sitting around this circle full of love were really looking into my soul, they were speaking my language, and they listened to me without judgment or expectations. And just like that, this was one of the most important moments that helped me change my chip around what it means to be part of a community.
Up to that point, my preconception of a community was limited to the belief that it was a group of people that shared common interests, which by association were part of what we lightly call a community. After living the power of a circle, I reconsidered my concept about what it means to be part of a community. I challenged my beliefs and expanded what my mind recognizes as real by not only thinking but feeling.
Now I live the community, not like a passive group but rather as a group of people who willingly associate for a mutual benefit; to give as much as to receive, share common interests, and be challenged by different points of view without the need for judgment. In this community, I feel safe because I know that the people surrounding me find happiness not only in their growth but also in others. Because I find true inspiration and not one mask with envy. Because when I feel lost, I always find something or somebody to connect with about that specific moment. This community gives me a sense of belonging because I invest in it as much as I benefit from it.
I feel like, at this moment, I belong to various communities, no exclusive one to the other. From all I learn and from all I feed. Each one has all or just some of me, and that is the beauty of belonging.
I want to dedicate this post to two wonderful women that one day with an invitation to be part of a circle they opened me the doors to their communities. These groups where I change, fitting in for belonging, and where I am my authentic self no matter the situation. Sarah and Ana, thank you for making @begenerationlove, @alasdeorquidea, and @mi_luna_yoni (go check out their IG profiles!) my home, where I feel supported and loved, where my tears have the same value as my smiles, and where I navigate this journey of growth supported by a community of acceptance and love.
With much love,
Sofia
P.S I wrote this post in Spanish, as sometimes my brain works in both languages!!!
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