Where We Belong (24 page)

And if you’re the DeGarmos, it’s the place where the ones you love are standing right next to you.

CONCLUSION

We’ve all met someone who’s seemingly operating on all cylinders: happy at work, great home life, active in the community, full of faith. Somehow, they’ve “arrived.” Meantime, we’re secretly second-guessing ourselves and the choices we’ve made in shaping our journey. I don’t like feeling doubt and I’ll bet you don’t either.

Clearly, we all want to feel definitively that we’re where we belong in life—that we’re among like minds, following our dreams, serving others, imparting hope. But if we haven’t yet landed in that sweet spot, how do we find it? As you’ve discovered in each of the previous chapters, there’s clearly no single—or simple—“how-to” strategy.

Michelle knew where she belonged, but because of her upbringing, she meandered for several years. Still, she ultimately listened to the voice in her heart and was willing to risk failure to pursue a fulfilling career path. The bigger fear for Michelle was regret.

Decades passed before Craig and Kathi embraced a change. When they did—with a leap of faith—it rewarded them in ways a generous bank account never could. Their life looks nothing like it once did. It’s not supposed to.

Neshama was lonely as a child, driven as an adult. When love led her from the city to the mountains, belonging opened its doors and welcomed her inside. A community of like-minded people healed old wounds and redefined for her what it means to be a family.

A yearning to belong nearly cost Lindley and Sarah their marriage. He had a calling—not from God, but from within himself. The “team” was tested by his decision, but it was ultimately Sarah’s faith in her love for Lindley that kept them together. They are a stronger couple for the struggle.

The payoff for all the people in this book—including our celebrities—is a rich story to tell, one that inspires and offers hope to any of us who wonder if we too can identify where we belong and take the first step in that direction. Their stories remind us that the very thing we’re afraid of may instead be the thing that sets us free. Or that when we feel like tucking tail and running back to our old life, regret may be waiting on the doorstep. And that perhaps,
I can’t possibly get there from here
is flawed thinking.

Why not, in our busy lives, sit back for a moment, reflect honestly, and ask,
Am I where I belong?
Ideally, you are.

But, if you could feel happier, more centered, grateful, relieved, and excited to live each day . . . would you make a change?

Should.

Would.

Could.

Did.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My heartfelt thanks:

To Jon Karp, who once again shared a brilliant concept for a book. The guy not only knows what will strike a chord within us all, he hopes the connection will inspire us to live our best lives.

To Marysue and her artful editing. She asks the right questions, the ones that make each story richer and the entire book better. Plus, she’s lovely and fun.

To the incredibly special people in this book who will change lives having told us about theirs. Life stories can be messy, and these brave folks generously offered the honest and sometimes uncomfortable details of their journeys. And the happy endings? They didn’t just happen—everyone in these pages did the work.

And finally, to my dear friend Jane Lorenzini . . . wow . . . number three! Hard to believe, huh, Janie? You are a brilliant writer who somehow makes it look so easy. It’s as if when you exhale poetry comes out. I am forever amazed, and am blessed and honored to have you in my life.

HODA KOTB
has cohosted the fourth hour of
Today
since 2008. She joined NBC in 1998 as a correspondent for
Dateline
. A
New York Times
bestselling author, Kotb has written two prior books,
Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee
and
Ten Years Later: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives
. In 2015, Kotb was honored with a Gracie Award for Outstanding Host in News/Non-Fiction and a Webby Award for her “Truly Brave” music video, shining a light on pediatric cancer. The three-time Emmy winner also received Gracie Awards in 2003 and 2008, an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award in 2008, a Peabody Award in 2006, and an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2002. She resides in New York City.

JANE LORENZINI
has been a professional writer for three decades, including a fifteen-year career as a television news anchor and reporter. She is a two-time
New York Times
bestselling author. In 2010, she cowrote Hoda Kotb’s autobiography,
Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee
. In 2013, Jane and Hoda cowrote
Ten Years Later
, a compilation of six inspirational life stories.
Where We Belong
is Jane and Hoda’s third collaboration. Jane lives in Tennessee.

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ALSO BY HODA KOTB

Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee

Ten Years Later: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives

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First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition January 2016

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Interior design by Ruth Lee-Mui

Jacket design by Laurie Carkeet

Jacket photograph by Eric Ray Davidson

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kotb, Hoda, 1964– author.

Where we belong : journeys that show us the way / Hoda Kotb, with Jane Lorenzini.

pages cm

1. Conduct of life—Case studies. 2. Self-realization—Case studies. 3. Career changes—Case studies. 4. Satisfaction—Case studies. 5. Vocation—Case studies. I. Lorenzini, Jane, author. II. Title.

BJ1589.K67 2016

170'.44—dc23   2015024127

ISBN 978-1-4767-5242-6

ISBN 978-1-4767-5244-0 (ebook)