Have you ever felt like you don’t fit? Like you’re out of place? Like you’re somehow on the outside looking in?
I have. It’s not a nice feeling. I’ve felt like an outsider among friends and family at times – not necessarily because of anything they did but sometimes simply because of the way circumstances worked out.
I’ve also felt a ridiculously strong sense of belonging among people I haven’t even known for that long.
It’s strange, I’ll admit but it’s not uncommon. As people, we feel closer to people who are similar to ourselves – people who share our interests or world-views, people who have ideas that match our own.
It’s possible to sometimes feel like an outsider simply because one cannot find something in common between themselves and the rest of the people around them and so, they feel awkward.
Feeling like an outsider sometimes is normal – but there are ways to help with it.
Share what you’re interested in despite it being different or out of the ordinary – you’d be surprised how willing people can be to listen even if they might not understand very much.
The Imperfect Muslimah 