We Are Always Tribal People

We Are All Tribal People: Finding Our Belonging in a Connected World

In the days of social media, music, and travel, finding where you fit should be an absolute breeze.

Images flash across our screens, evoking deep feelings and sending us down new paths.

Life has a funny way of acting as our compass: if we go down the wrong road, doors will close right in our face; if it’s the right road, doors will gently open.

Tribalism gets a bad rap, but it’s actually a wonderful thing. We connect over the craziest of things—maybe we look the same, or maybe we just feel the same, sharing those quiet, vulnerable spaces.

We see this magic happen every single week in our loneliness recovery groups. Coming together doesn’t make us all the same; rather, it gives us that steady state and knowledge that we belong.

We may belong with a particular tribe forever, or maybe we’re just with them long enough to learn a specific lesson.

Life is a journey, and once a lesson is learned, it’s usually time to move on. People come into your life for a reason, a season, or forever.

Staying Safe, Sane, and Multi-Dynamic

Because one of the partners in any relationship will eventually pass away, we have to keep safe and sane by having other interests. Being multi-dynamic—having diverse facets to who you are—is an absolute gift.

To put it simply, look at people who stay stuck in just one definition of themselves. I once met an electrician who was always going to be just an electrician. Over time, he got heavy, and it was quite funny watching him trying to bend extensively inside electrical cupboards, squeeze down dark holes, and climb awkwardly through narrow loft hatches! Flexibility is everything.

The Pain of Making a Change

As part of the human tribe, making personal changes is notoriously hard, and naturally, we don't get very far on sheer willpower alone. I started a diet this morning—and I didn’t even make it past breakfast!

We are all tribal people—we just need to remember to be ourselves and we'll soon find our tribe. Keep your eyes open, take that brave step, try new things, laugh at the failed diets, and let the right doors swing wide.

Don't ever give up.

You will find your tribe of you give yourself