Below is a short discussion inspired the episode "On Longing, Belonging, and Faith" from Unlocking Us with Brené Brown.

When we work within our uniqueness and put our beliefs to good use, we take ownership of our spirituality. We can then be truly secure in our beliefs, and ourselves.

In this episode of Unlocking Us, writers Sue Monk Kidd and Jen Hatmaker talk about personal beliefs and ideas with spirituality. When old values are inconsistent with new ways of life, this can cause conflict within us. When our inner voice conflicts with our faith, which do we listen to?

Sue and Jen insist that we can listen to both. Here’s how:

• Embrace the confusion. When we open our minds, we can be confused about how eccentric and contradicting some new ideas are. We have to lean into the confusion.
• Accept your uniqueness. If we want to integrate our own beliefs into our spirituality, we have to be confident in them. We will not improve as individuals if we don’t embrace what makes us unique.
• Fight for your beliefs. When we use our knowledge for good, we synthesize our personality with spirituality. When we remain silent and neutral, we don’t give our inner voice any power.

When we become mindful, pay attention to our instincts, and stand firm in what we think is right, we harmonize ancient wisdom with our inner voice. We can connect with others wholeheartedly as spiritual and unique persons.

the distilld lessons

Here are the distilld lessons inspired by "On Longing, Belonging, and Faith" from Unlocking Us with Brené Brown.

Some old values are inconsistent with new ways of life. Science and technology will tell us that. This can cause conflict within us.  

When our perspective conflicts with our faith, which do we listen to?

When we become mindful, pay attention to our instincts, and stand firm in what we think is right, we can update ancient wisdom with our inner voice.

Friction, confusion, and even pain are natural when learning new information. We have to go through the process despite these bad feelings. Jen Hatmaker calls this process “earning our freedom”.

We will get lost from time to time on our journey to reconcile our core beliefs. It’s okay. Getting lost is part of the journey. Sometimes, it’s the only way.

Work within your largeness. Sue Monk-Kidd defines our largeness as our genius. It’s the summation of the things that make us unique.  She says it’s our gift to the world.

Our silence has a price. When we don’t fight for truth, we are protecting those who lie. This is why a truly neutral stance doesn’t exist. The status quo requires human intervention to produce positivity.

When we work within our largeness and stand firmly by it, we take ownership of our spirituality. We can be secure in ourselves and our beliefs.

Applying It

• Embrace the confusion that comes with new ideas. An open mind is best put to practice with a head-on approach.
• Accept your uniqueness. Confidence is the key to harmonizing our personality with spirituality. If we want to integrate our own beliefs into our spirituality, we have to be confident in them.
• Fight for what you think is right. Even when others say you’re wrong. When we stand firm in our beliefs and conduct ourselves with dignity and responsibility, we can assert ourselves without disrespecting anyone.
• Don’t just be “neutral”. When we don’t protect truth and justice, we indirectly protect lies and injustice.
• Don’t let religion be the reason to hate people. Everyone is unique. Everyone is different. Just because someone doesn’t fit into a mold dictated by scripture, it doesn’t mean they’re bad or reprehensible.

For a more in depth conversation, the distilld lessons (extended) are here.