"Choosing a tribe is a perfect way to hide in plain sight."

A thought by David Roberts from his book, Healing Conversation (p. 35). Moran James Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

We don't want to go it alone so we choose a tribe to belong.

David says, "Choosing a tribe is a perfect way to hide in plain sight. It satisfies our need to belong, kind of. It gives us a sense of identity, sort of. It allows us to know and be fully known, in theory. This attempt to belong by selecting a tribe is not just a practical decision, it is emotional. We have a very deep longing to put an end to our feelings of disconnection and loneliness. The tribe choosing satisfies a need to belong, but to the extent we are hiding who we are, it also allows us to maintain a very real sense of anonymity. While it feels safe, it is also lonely. Often, the well-defined attributes of a group can be confining and demanding. Choosing a tribe can sometimes be complicated."

He goes on, "Safety exists in numbers. We can connect with people who agree with us and enjoy things in common. We can feel valued and have a sense of safety belonging with people. However, because we join the group, people assume we agree completely with the values and actions of the group. They do not ask us for full disclosure of who we are or what we believe, which is good because so much of the time, we don’t know or we know, but don’t want anyone else to know."

But is hiding in plain sight what we really want and need? He later says, "Healing conversations serve to help us find our truest and deepest identities. We learn about ourselves and our own hardwiring in meaningful conversation, where good questions are asked back and forth and where there is two–way safety and trust. We learn by being able to reveal ourselves in connection with others. We are liberated in being free to talk about our fears, thoughts, personal beliefs, preferences and our own transgressions. Such conversations are healing conversations in which we are truly turning together and turning toward truth."

He then says, "If we can find out more about who we are in the safety of healing conversations, maybe we can express freely what we want and where we want to go. Maybe we can find what’s missing from our lives.

"It’s so funny (strange) we don’t talk any more."

Hiding is not where we will find our truest and deepest identities. It's in healing conversations. And that is what we really need and want, isn't it?

Yes, yes!

Comments

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

"To put it simply, worry isn’t just a bad habit."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 1). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Ok, that is interesting. Louie says, "Worry is an Enemy tactic—a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces. "That’s why it’s crucial that you are able to spot the lies worry tells." He goes on, "Not long ago while on safari in South Africa, Shelley and I were really wanting to see a leopard in the wild. Early and late on our game drives our eyes were set on every tree limb, bush, grassy hill, and river path in hopes of finding one of several leopards that were known to frequent this particular area. But here’s the thing: leopards aren’t bright orange with tall, sparkly antennae on their backs. They are designed to blend into the surroundings, like the bark of a baobab tree where they might be lounging on one of its mighty branches. "In the same way, ...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog