What does community mean to you?
Do you immediately think about a place ~ a neighbourhood ~ your city?
Perhaps, you get images of various groups you belong to?
Maybe, it’s all about energy for you.
Well, you can look at it in all of those ways and more.
Our Human~Social Nature
As human beings we are designed to be social in nature. This shows up in different ways for each of us. Whether we identify as a hermit or a social butterfly, the fact remains that we are interconnected in a number of ways. We need interaction in order to develop ~ to survive and to thrive.
We can belong to communities that have absolutely no sense of connection and may be challenged by less than functional interaction practices. Is it still a community? Absolutely ~ it just might not feel like one.
So, when I think about Co-Creating Community as an element of the Conscious Service Approach, I am focused on the energy of that community. I am talking about the essence of the culture in that community.
Community as an Energy
Community as an energy is about how we feel in that space with those people. Here are some questions to ponder in relation to community:
Do I feel that I belong here?
Do I feel a sense of connection with others in this group?
Do we have a shared vision?
Do I feel safe to be seen and heard in this community?
Do I have a role to play ~ contribution to make? What is that?
Am I open to the views of others?
Do I look forward to being here?
It is up to each of us to discover what community means to us in the context of being of Service. Knowing what we wish to experience within our organizations gives us the leverage we need to understand our own personal contribution to making that happen.
As we become clear on the kind of connection we want to experience with others as we move through the day, we are more likely to attract the opportunities that lead to that outcome.
Notice how it feels on those days when you experience connection with the world around you. Are you aware of greater ease and fluidity in your day? Do things just seem to flow?
When that happens for me, I feel very aligned with a sense of my personal understanding of community. However, there are also times when it doesn’t feel so easy even though I know it’s necessary.
Contrast in Community
Community doesn’t mean that everyone agrees and it’s all rainbows and lollipops. Sometimes, there is friction, disagreement, opposing views and that has a different vibe to it. And yet, the essence of community does not need to be lost during times of struggle.
We need a variety of perspectives in order to get the full picture. We can have a shared vision and alternative viewpoints as to the best way to get there. If we come from a place of respect, compassion, and understanding of our partners then we can maintain the energy of community during the most challenging times.
And that is when we need it the most.
Join Us
I am delighted to tell you about my next guest on Serving Consciously. Rebecca Mears will join me on Friday September 22, 2017 at 12pm PST ~ just go to www.ctrnetwork.com and click on Listen Live to tune in. It’s all about Co-Creating Community!
Rebecca Mears is an experienced professional coach, a certified counsellor, Red Cross Violence Prevention Trainer and pioneer in non-profit project development overseas. Her greatest love is creating and guiding the formation of community, whether the groups be small or large, and whether the group is of short or long term duration. She has refined skills for uncovering the deep values that inspire individuals in order to achieve transformative learning and facilitate connection and bonding with others. Rebecca’s years of work in education, coaching, and counselling provide her with tremendous experience in violence prevention, conflict resolution, management, curriculum development, cross-cultural communication, teaching modalities and assessing adult and youth learning preferences and communication styles.
Set the date and plan to join us for a lively conversation and connected vibe!
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