Community: Better Together
I am a big advocate for community! What does that mean? I believe that we are better together than alone. I trust that two can solve more than one, three more than two and so forth. I thrive when I am involved in group exchange of ideas, emotions, information and process. And yes, I could be seen as an extrovert, but my encouragement to participate in community calls out to both the introvert and extrovert
.I write this to encourage people to take a step and become involved in some form of community. When we operate in isolation there is a tendency toward anxiety, depression, negative self-talk, apathy, and lethargy. When we are engaged with others, many possibilities abound. It can be scary and vulnerable to join a group, take a class, participate in a sport, but the rewards are abundant.
The first invaluable aspect to group connection is realizing we are not alone. When we join a group, there is an immediate decreased sense of isolation. We look around and can say, “I’m not alone….in this world, situation, dilemma, joy, hardship, struggle, etc.” A group quickly becomes a holding space for our process; a place to talk about something or to vent or to question. It can also be a place to just notice quietly. When we join a group sometimes our greatest lessons come when we are listening rather than sharing. The exposure to other people’s perspectives, ideas, abilities, successes and losses can teach us so much. Plus, exposure to different ways to look at situations and new ideas all burst on to the scene when we listen to each other and our individual stories, or even when we watch how others solve different issues. Knowing others’ have experienced something similar to what we experienced can be such a relief.
The other significant benefit of community is the feeling of being seen by others. To be witnessed in our process can feel very subtle, but is an incredibly powerful healing tool. When we share our process with others and they hold that struggle with support and non-judgement, it can be life changing. It establishes a sense of saying, “You understand me.”
A group or community can be big or small. A life partner can be your community, so can friends or your family or a sports team or support group. It doesn’t matter what the size or the content, the benefits will be there. Whether it is friends, family, support groups, classes, neighbors, workshops, etc., I encourage you to build community in your life.