One of the most difficult lessons I've learned in my career is to know where I belong.

A lesson that has seen me battle with trusting the various places that I have walked through, with no fault of anyone's other than my own.

Coupled with this, is the almost daily battle to stay true to this search to seek a place, and a People, that give me the truest sense of belonging.

Hold onto this for as long as possible is the next battle.

It is not uncommon to feel culturally, physically and psychologically unsafe in the places we work, even if there are posters and photos on the walls telling us that we are welcome. People's behaviours go a long way to make these things redundant.

It's also not uncommon to feel unsafe in the world we live in — our diverse population here in Australia is not equally represented in the leadership of our organisations and institutions. Many boardrooms still lack the ability to make decisions with a level of cultural awareness that stretches beyond the world of tokenism and platitudes.

And the ability for us to hear and see the diverse tapestry of the world — different ideas from different perspectives other than our own — and build it into the framework of the work we do, whatever work that might be, is still beyond us.

When I first started writing this weekly journal I didn't know how therapeutic it would be to sit down each Tuesday and reflect on the week — and within that weekly practice I have found something that has brought me closer to finding a sense of belonging that is not unique to me, but true for many of us.

I realised that I was mistakenly looking for a single place to belong to when in fact I belonged to many.

I belonged to one beautiful community within another beautiful community, and yet another.

We often find ourselves searching for a community and a tribe to belong to, when in fact we should know that we belong to many communities and tribes and we play a meaningful part in all of them.

Communities of people who see the world in the same way as we do; others who do the work we do with the same daily drive to make a change.

Communities of people who celebrate our culture and identity through stories, media and perspectives, helping us realise who we were, and where we're going.

And others who share our sadness and our loss.

Communities of people who teach us because they are keys that unlock something inside of us that would be impossible for us to grapple with if it were not for them.

Communities of people whom we never meet, but might exchange an email or two once or twice a year, that says, I see you.

That is the beauty of community — it is a constantly moving, living organism where people, and culture find themselves moving and changing every single day.

And within this movement and change we can each find ourselves relevant, valued and seen.

Contributing and making a difference in a way that is uniquely our own.

See you next week.