This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick

This is Where You Belong

This Is Where You Belong explores the concept of what makes us fall in love with the towns and cities where we live, and why it matters.

The author, Melody Warnick, shares her personal experience of moving six times and struggling to feel at home in each new place. She then delves into the art and science of loving the place you live, offering practical suggestions for increasing place attachment.

The main themes of the book include the importance of community, the benefits of staying put, and the power of taking action to create a sense of belonging. Warnick emphasizes that there is no perfect place, but by actively engaging with your community and surroundings, you can increase your sense of place attachment and happiness.

Useful takeaways from the book include:

  • Act like someone who loves your town to increase your sense of place attachment.
  • Do more stuff in your place, such as walking more, buying locally, exploring the local outdoors, volunteering, and attending arts events.
  • Have experiences that create memories in your place to link emotions to where you are.
  • Think about the long-term impact of moving on future generations and consider planting roots in your community.
  • People who are happy about where they live and like the people around them are less likely to suffer heart attacks or strokes.

What I Liked

I loved everything about this book. There is a large segment of America that is increasingly not tied to place due to job & family. There’s this constant looking for The place to live. And like any paradox of choice…leads to pervasive dissatisfaction. You’ve gotta just pick and stick with it, because that’s where the joy is.

What I Did Not Like

Not a whole lot – excellent book.

Love Where You Live Principles

  1. Our towns are what we think they are.
  2. Emotion follows behavior; feelings follow action.
  3. If you want to love your town, act like someone who loves your town
    would act.
  4. When you’re happy (and healthy), then you’re happy (and healthy)
    where you live.
  5. If you love your city, you should do what’s good for it. (Corollary:
    What’s good for your community is usually good for you.)
  6. Relationships with people are what make you feel most at home.
  7. Every town is good at something. Do what your town is good at.
  8. Put pins in the map. Happy memories create place attachment.
  9. When you invest, you feel invested.
  10. There is no right town for everyone, just the right town for you right
    now.
  11. Experience joy for as long as you’re there.
This Is Where You Belong by Melody Warnick
$11.69
In This Is Where You Belong, Melody Warnick tackles what makes us love the places we call home and why that connection matters. Drawing from her own experiences of moving multiple times, she shares practical tips on how to foster a sense of belonging in our communities. I really appreciated her take on the importance of staying rooted and engaging with local life to boost happiness. The book offers valuable insights, like acting as if you love your town to actually start feeling that way. Honestly, I found it inspiring—there’s not much I didn’t like about it!
Pros:
  • Explores the importance of community and belonging.
  • Offers practical suggestions for increasing place attachment.
  • Emphasizes the joy of committing to a place and engaging with it.
Cons:
  • Not a whole lot - excellent book.
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02/11/2025 08:22 pm GMT
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