Welcome.

I’m glad you’re here. I created this space because, maybe like you, I want to feel like I belong. I think this question of belonging has plagued me because of the many times and places in my life where I felt I did not belong.

Maybe you’ve been there, too.

What does it mean to belong? What conditions make that possible?

And what can we do about the increasing levels of loneliness and the growing lack of social connection? Data shows that we are (at least in the U.S., but in other parts of the world also) an increasingly lonely and isolated society. Not only is this concerning for our culture and social fabric, but loneliness is also detrimental to our mental and physical health.

No one group is exempt from loneliness: we are all lonely. The elderly, the teen, the disabled, the neurodivergent, the racial and ethnic minority…we are all lonely. Each group, and each of us, experiences loneliness differently.

What can we do to foster a sense of belonging, and address these levels of loneliness?

One of the things we can do here in this space is share our stories and ask each other questions.

Sharing your stories, your experiences, and your ideas helps us all do better. What has worked for you? Not worked for you? How can we do better?

Being curious about one another, such as through asking questions, is one way to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion. The questions we ask of another send the message that they matter. That someone cares.

Adopting a posture of curiosity helps us see one another with a lens of wonder.

That’s something we need to be better—but the good news is it’s something we can do. And you’re welcome to do that here, to ask questions, respond, dialogue—and I very much hope you do.

In this space, I dream of having conversations that help us explore and envision ways toward a greater sense of belonging. I want to help us find ways to be more socially connected and a little less lonely. Join me?

To learn more about me, and more about my upcoming book Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging, releasing in April 2024, visit my website: prasantaverma.com.

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.

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Prasanta was born under an Asian sun and grew up in the shadow of Appalachians. She writes about belonging, identity, loneliness, culture, health and social connection. She wants to help us envision a world where we're all a little less lonely.

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Prasanta Verma

@prasantaverma

Writer, Poet, and Public Health Professional • Book titled Beyond Ethnic Loneliness releasing April 2024 • Helping us find belonging • Writing about belonging, identity, social connection, community, health, faith