Rediscovering the "In Crowd"

Ever felt the tug to fit in at any cost, only to find the cost is you? We take a gentle but honest look at the social “in crowd”—its shine, its unspoken rules, and the quiet exhaustion of trying to stay visible—and then turn toward a different kind of belonging that never asks you to perform. The conversation moves from surface certainty to a sacred welcome, naming the Trinity as an always open circle where love is given, not measured. That shift reframes spiritual practices as ways to listen to God rather than hoops to jump through, opening space for peace, home, and harmony.

As the holidays approach, we talk about choosing a slower rhythm when culture speeds up. Instead of chasing perfect moments, we lean into intentional presence: small pauses, simple prayers, and imagination as a pathway to wonder. We revisit our nativity meditations—seeing the story through the eyes of the star, the shepherds, Mary, and Joseph—as a way to feel near to the holy without pretending life is tidy. From that vantage point, belonging feels real and embodied, and the season softens from a sprint into a soulful walk.

Expect clear takeaways: why social belonging often becomes a cage, how grace cuts the tether to performance, and simple ways to anchor your days in calm. You’ll leave with practices to cultivate inner quiet, a fresh lens on spiritual life, and an invitation to rest in a love that does not waver. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who needs a breath of peace, and leave a review so others can find their way to this gentle space.

To learn more, go to mycreateharmony.com

Chapters

• 0:04 Entering A Slower, Sacred Space
• 0:32 Meet The “In Crowd”
• 1:26 The Cost And Fragility Of Being “In”
• 2:52 A Different In Crowd: The Trinity
• 3:28 Grace Over Performance
• 4:53 Holiday Pause And Nativity Meditations
• 6:13 Seasonal Series And Closing Blessing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:04

Welcome back to the Create Harmony Podcast. So just imagine yourself stepping into a space where the pace is unhurried and the noise of the day begins to fade. It's a place where you can hear the soft rhythms of nature guiding your heart. Well, this is that space. A place for you to find your intentional rhythm, to savor life's blessings, and to use the gift of imagination as a way of listening to God. So this is episode 152, and I am your host, Sally Burlington, and today we are going to talk about the in crowd. And I made air quotes with my fingers when I said that. Those are the people who have it all figured out. So the in-crowd, they're easy to spot. They always seem to know where to be, what to wear, what to say. They move together, they're confident, they everything they do looks effortless. When you see them, they're laughing and they have flashes of connection. They have all sorts of inside jokes that sound like the language of belonging. Now from the outside, the in-crowd looks pretty shiny. They look full of energy, they look full of certainty, they seem really comfortable in their skin and comfortable in every moment, wherever they are. Being quote, in often comes with maybe some unspoken rules, some ways to dress, how to look, what to believe, even when to speak. And it can feel like safety to be part of the in-crowd, but it also can feel like a cage. And sometimes if you look closely, you can see the edges of the in-crowd's comfort. A little flicker of exhaustion, or maybe just the pressure to stay seen, to stay relevant, to stay in air quotes in. And you know, the main reason the in crowd holds so much power is because we all want to belong. We want to have that feeling of belonging. We want to be seen, we want to be accepted, we want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. But here's the funny thing about the in crowd. Even the people who are deeply in it don't always feel that sense of belonging. There's always they're always questioning themselves with that lingering question of, do I really fit in? Do I really matter here? And they are always spending a lot of time working to keep themselves in the in crowd. Now, you might be asking yourself, why are we spending all of our time talking about this? This does not at all align with everyday joys and using your imagination as a way of listening to God. What how does this align with the rest of our content? But stay with me because we're getting ready to talk about another kind of in crowd. And this other kind of in crowd is one that is always, always inviting us in. And this new in-crowd is the Trinity. It's the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It's our triune God. And what's offered by this in crowd is the most beautiful kind of belonging you can imagine. It's one that isn't earned, you can't perform your way in, it's not measured. God's invitation is open and gentle and constant. And when we say yes to it, we find that feeling of peace that we've been chasing. We come to that deep sense of home and harmony that we've been looking for. A few weeks ago we talked about finding a sense of home and knowing where you can be yourself, and this is what it's like with this new in crowd. You don't have to work to stay in this crowd. You're already wanted, you're already loved, you already belong. And just hearing those words gives me a deeper sense of peace. So sometimes I think we get a little bit confused about what it takes to be in air quotes in with God. We think we need to follow all the rules, we gotta go to church every week, we gotta read our Bibles, we gotta volunteer, we gotta believe all the just right things. But if you look closely at God's in crowd, none of that is true. You might want to do some of those things in order to hear God's voice more clearly, but none of those things are required because of grace. And when you think about this new version of the in crowd, that old version doesn't really hold quite as much power. So here's to keeping our focus collectively on the holy in crowd this holiday season. And so as we transition into the holiday season, it's time for me to let you know that I'm gonna take some time this December to slow down and really savor the season. So instead of putting out brand new episodes all throughout the month of December, I'm gonna be focusing on all the good things that are happening in my life. But if you need to keep your connection with Create Harmony this month, you do have an option. You can revisit episodes 50 through 54. So this is going back a little bit. In each of these episodes, what we did was walk you through the process of seeing the nativity as if you were a character on site at a time. So the first week we look at the nativity from the perspective of the star, and then we go through the shepherd and Mary and Joseph. And when you're listening to these meditations, you feel like you're really stepping into the story of the birth of Christ, like you are really there. And this is a great way to feel like you're being brought closer in to the holy in crowd. So really check that out. That is episodes 50 through 54. You can listen to them one a week or just listen to them all at once, and that will give you more deep peace throughout the holiday season. Now, don't forget our seasonal series is still on sale. It will be a wonderful gift for the holiday season. It's a collab with Pettal and Pink, our mental wellness boutique friends. If you want to learn more about that, you can go to mycreateharmony.com and find out all about how you can get a seasonal series box for yourself and everyone on your holiday list. So thank you so much for joining us today. And thanks for joining us every week. We are thankful for each and every one of you taking time to listen in and to join our conversation. We look forward to sharing more goodness and more everyday joys in the new year, and we know that that will come before you can blink. And until next time, peacefully, you can see that.