FIT IN (Part 2): When the World Says You Should Fit In

If you’ve been following the ReflectWithFlo series, you know we’ve been unpacking what it truly means to “fit in” not just with people, but with life itself. In Part 1, we explored “When Fitting In Feels Fake,” and how sometimes pretending to belong can leave us feeling even more out of place.
Now in Part 2, we’re turning the lens toward a subtler kind of pressure: when the world itself tells you that you should fit in.

There’s a kind of pressure that doesn’t always come from people directly, it comes from what the world expects of you.

It’s not that anyone stands over your shoulder saying, “Do this now,” or “Be that by this age.” But somehow, there’s this invisible checklist we all seem to be chasing.
By 25, you should have a degree.
By 28, you should be married.
By 30, you should be “settled.”
You should look a certain way, live a certain lifestyle, speak a certain language that makes you appear like you’ve got it all figured out.

And when you don’t check all the boxes, it starts to feel like you’re behind, like life is moving on without you, and you somehow missed the “normal” train everyone else boarded.

But here’s the truth that’s often hard to swallow:
Maybe the timeline you’re trying to fit into was never yours to begin with.

We live in a world that celebrates sameness, the same kind of success, the same kind of milestones, the same kind of “perfect” life. But your path wasn’t designed to be identical to anyone else’s. God didn’t create you to copy someone else’s blueprint. He created you with a story, a timing, and a process that is uniquely yours.

It’s okay if your pace looks slower.
It’s okay if your story doesn’t look picture-perfect.
And it’s okay if your becoming takes longer than others’.

Because sometimes, not fitting in is the only proof that you’re still walking the path God wrote for you and not the one society designed for everyone else.

You’re not late.
You’re not missing out.
You’re just growing differently.

God’s plan for your life doesn’t follow man’s timeline. So while the world says “You should be there by now,” heaven is whispering, “You’re right on time.”

The truth is, becoming who you are meant to be isn’t about keeping up — it’s about staying aligned. It’s about trusting that even in the seasons that look quiet or confusing, something beautiful is unfolding in you.

Reflect with me:
Have you ever felt behind because your life didn’t look like everyone else’s?
What if you’re not behind at all what if you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, learning what others skipped, growing where others rushed?

Let this be your reminder today: you don’t need to fit in when you were created to stand out in purpose.

Inspired by a heart-to-heart with my dear friend(Grace)

Stay tuned for Part 3:
Next, we’ll dive into “When Fitting In Means Compromise” — exploring what happens when you start losing yourself just to belong, and how to find peace in authenticity.

With love,
Florence 💕
ReflectWithFlo

When I Forgot God Was My Father

I recently came across @thedolapolawal message about what it really means to call God “Father.” It sounds simple, it is something I’ve said in prayers, in songs for as long as I can remember, yet somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn’t living like someone who truly believed it.

I’ve been walking around like a child trying to prove she’s worthy to stay in the house, instead of a daughter who already belongs there.
Always trying to earn rest, earn favor, earn love, even though all along, my father’s arms were open.

The preacher said, “Many of us are living like spiritual orphans; praying to a God who loves us, but still acting like He might leave us.” And I felt that deeply. Because that’s exactly how I’ve been living; cautious with my heart, afraid to do too much, as if I could exhaust His patience, doubtful if he is really there or if I am really that important to Him and using my own logic forgetting He is the wisdom before time began.

But that’s not who He is.
Romans 8:15 reminds me, “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, ‘Abba, Father.’”

When I sit with those words, I realize how often I’ve forgotten that I’m loved, not for what I do, but because of who He is.
He didn’t just forgive me; He adopted me. He didn’t just save me; He called me His own.

And in the quiet moments when I feel lost or small, I’m learning to whisper again, “I’m not fatherless.”
Because I’m not. He never left.
He’s been here all along, in the silence, in the waiting, in the gentle ways He keeps drawing me back home.

So today, I’m choosing to rest not to earn His approval, but because I already have it.
I’m learning to live like a daughter again.

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18)

Reflection:
Maybe you should pause and ask yourself; Am I living like a loved child or like someone still trying to earn love? Let that question draw you back into His arms. 💛

With love,
Florence 💕
ReflectWithFlo