place
noun
ˈplās
plural places
1
a: physical environment : space
b: a way for admission or transit
c: physical surroundings : atmosphere
2
a: an indefinite region or expanse all over the place
b: a building or locality used for a special purpose a place of learning
3
a: a particular region, center of population, or location a nice place to visit
b: a building, part of a building, or area occupied as a home our summer place
4: a particular part of a surface or body : spot
5
: relative position in a scale or series: such as
a: position in a social scale kept them in their place
b: a step in a sequence in the first place, it's none of your business
c: a position at the conclusion of a competition finished in last place
6
a: a proper or designated niche or setting the place of education in society
b: an appropriate moment or point this is not the place to discuss compensation—
c: a distinct condition, position, or state of mind the postfeminist generation is in a different place
7
a: an available seat or accommodation needs a place to stay
b: an empty or vacated position new ones will take their place
8
: the position of a figure in relation to others of a row or series
especially : the position of a digit within a numeral
9
a: remunerative employment : job
b: prestige accorded to one of high rank : status
10
: a public square : plaza
11
: a small street or court
12
: second place at the finish (as of a horse race)
verb
placed; placing
transitive verb
1
a: to put in or as if in a particular place or position : set
b: to present for consideration a question placed before the group
c: to put in a particular state place a performer under contract
d: to direct to a desired spot
e: to cause (the voice) to produce free and well resonated singing or speaking tones
2
a: to assign to a position in a series or category : rank
b: estimate placed the value of the estate too high
c: to identify by connecting with an associated context police placed them at the crime scene
3
: to distribute in an orderly manner : arrange
4
: to appoint to a position
5
: to find a place (such as a home or employment) for
6
a: to give (an order) to a supplier
b: to give an order for place a bet
c: to try to establish a connection for place a telephone call
Hello Friend,
A while back, I asked you for suggestions on topics you’d like to read, and I got one about finding your place in the world. This is a topic we should definitely talk about, seeing as I’m also trying to figure it out.
What I have come to though, is that it’s not that we have to find a place that fits for us, although I sure hope we find one eventually. It’s that we need to understand and therefore accept that we already do have a place in the world just by existing.
You may not think that anything you do matters, but the truth is your being changes and influences every part of life in ways you don’t even realize.
Through our years on this planet, we have no choice but to make an impact on the world.
Let's take a literal footprint for example, often we don’t look behind us and see if there’s anything there, but there is! Who knows, there might have been a bug there who had to move out of the way as you stepped, there could have been a leaf that you crushed with your shoe. The point is that the simple act of you taking a step has the possibility to alter the world around you, and more often than not, it does.
Therefore you already occupy a place in the world, a place that comes with responsibility. Because if there’s no way to go through this life without having influence, you better know what you want to be putting out there.
Another reason it’s hard to feel like you have a place in this world is because oftentimes we have a view that we are all alone. My earlier example sheds light on the fact that that’s not true!
We are not separate beings experiencing life all alone. We are interconnected in ways we don’t know and can’t comprehend. All of the creatures in the world are connected to us through the tiny particles that make us up. Taking one step could have a chain-reaction on an ecosystem that you can’t even see.
You are never alone. At this very moment there are most likely birds flying above your head, worms crawling under your feet, bugs humming all around you, and people breathing near you. Life is flourishing all around you, and you are a part of that life! Therefore it is your place! Your place in the world!
You are also never alone because of the built-in buddy that this life has blessed each of us with. In my opinion, one of the biggest problems in our society is that we forget to view ourselves through that lens.
Trust me, it wasn’t always easy for me to view myself with love either. I, like many of us, considered myself an enemy.
My general state used to be one of dislike towards myself. I never understood the appeal of being friends with myself. I didn’t wanna be here at all, so making nice with me seemed kind of pointless.
As you get older, you start to question more and more of the narratives that society tells you. I also questioned why I view myself this way. How does hating myself benefit my life? How does it help me or make my life easier to reject me?
The answer I came to is that it doesn’t. In fact, it only brings me more pain to believe those thoughts as truth.
When I first started practicing looking at myself through a lens of love, it felt very foreign and odd to me. I was uncomfortable and had real trouble connecting. You see, being nice to myself also meant acknowledging all the pain I had been going through. And acknowledging the pain means you actually have to feel it.
Most of us live our life in a fair amount of pain, we think it’s a “normal” part of existence, and therefore we accept it without thinking twice. However, once you stop and actually take a look at all the things you are going through, you realize that the pain is another aspect of life that will inevitably change over time.
I am now able to view myself as a friend. Through facing my pain I have built trust towards myself, and therefore safety. This relationship has become the most important one in my life. It has given me the freedom of recognizing that whenever I feel like I don’t have a place in the world, in this external state we all exist in, I always do have one at least within me.
These ideas definitely help me when I’m questioning my place in the world. The place might not be where I wish I was, but it is a place that could not be replaced by anyone else. And the life I’ve lived thus far has rippled out in ways I can’t even begin to comprehend, just like yours has!
So I hope these thoughts help you on your way to finding your place. I hope you recognize that your place is already here, and has been here. That you are a combination of so many people who loved each other, that they dreamt this world and this place for you. I also hope that you can find a way to grow a loving connection with you, the only person who will always have the opportunity to have your back!
If you need any support or help, feel free to reach out! From one friend to another: I love you.
Yes! Our place is exactly where we are, and our impact is best expressed in the love and kindness we can muster, both inwardly, and outwardly!!! Ripples begin with the stone, us, and fortunately go outwardly from there. Let our stone be one of positivity and love, and the ripples will also carry that love and grace to many unknown parts, both near and far!