There exists a need. A need to belong. A need to “fit in.”

I imagine that we all possess this need in some capacity. At times it can be overwhelming. Personally, I’ve experienced the need to “fit in” mostly throughout my lower to mid twenties and I still continue to struggle with it. There’s a comfort that can be found in numbers, especially when you are young and figuring out your true self. Being part of the crowd is often just plain easier. I’m not trying to say that aligning yourself with certain people or certain forms of thought is a bad thing. In fact, at times I believe it’s a good thing and is very healthy. The problem arises when we become so fixated on the comfort of fitting in that we compromise who we truly are, or worse, completely lose sense of who we truly are.

It’s a strange thing, this need to fit in. The more I navigate who I truly am as a person, the less I care about fitting in with the crowd. The less I care about fitting in with the crowd, the more I am able to brush away the fear of how others will react towards me; to what I say, to what I do, and to who I truly am. There is a danger of complacency when your motivation is to be one with the crowd. Complacency is a breeding ground for under-performance as a person. If you become complacent for too long, you are no longer moving forward. If you are no longer moving forward, you are regressing. Trust me, I know. I’ve had plenty of practice being complacent throughout my life, unfortunately:-/

God does NOT call us to “fit in,” He calls us to stand out. To be BOLD. To move forward. To progress. To make a difference (on a large scale or in our daily lives). Do you think that the greatest people in the history of our world were trying to build a life so they could “fit in” with the crowd? I doubt it. In fact, I imagine they might have strived for quite the opposite.

Cast aside your desire to “fit in.” Instead, dare to be BOLD. Allow yourself to become who you were truly created to be.