Finding Community

Finding the right community can be difficult. Whether you’re looking for a community to live in, work in, network in, date in. There are endless ways communities are pulled together, but what’s important is that you feel welcome there.  

The one thing most communities have in common is that its members are committed to adding value and building community culture. They have a genuine commitment to maintaining what they love. Depending on the type of community, this can be done in several different ways.  

At home for example, there might be a neighborhood recreation center where the local kids play sports during the day, and at night they host AA meetings. The local church may have a divorce recovery group on Wednesdays or offer meals to the homeless on Sunday evenings. They work to keep the prosperity moving through the community by supporting and reinvesting in local businesses.  

These are all wonderful ways that people work together to support their neighbors. Leading a community isn’t easy, it takes a lot of courage and wisdom. Someone in these shoes would need excellent communication skills and to be very personable. They need to make their expectations clear and be a respected and valued member of the community. It’s important to have trustworthy leadership, this ensures the citizens respect their authorities, and each other.  

Mutual respect is another important factor in a successful community. Maintaining boundaries and being conscious of your neighbors can make your life much easier, and you might even make some new friends out of it. Disrespecting, damaging property or stealing from your neighbors will only come back to bite you.  

This should be common sense, but unfortunately not everyone plays by the rules. That’s why there are neighborhood watch groups. This keep people’s minds at ease, knowing that there’s a whole community out there working to keep their families safe. They also gather their neighbors together every so often for meetings where they give updates, address concerns, and plan for what’s ahead.  

It’s important to be understanding with your neighbors. We’re all living our own lives, and sometimes your schedules might conflict with each other. Like when you finally get time for a nap, and then someone starts mowing their lawn. Or when a storm blows through, and your fence is crushed by that tree you’ve been mentioning needs to be removed.  

Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes, we unintentionally offend people, accidentally back over mailboxes. It happens. What matters is that the community takes collective action in keeping things cordial and finding fair and mutual solutions to their problems.  

It’s a little different in a work environment, but still just as important to feel welcomed and safe. In a professional atmosphere though, you may not feel quite as relaxed as you are back home. This doesn’t mean it has to be uptight and humorless though.  

It’s important to feel appreciated at work, to be recognized for the value you add. Having good leadership is just as important at work than it is in your home community. Leadership at work can be the difference between trying to get that raise and putting your resume out to see who else is hiring.  

When trying to expand your career, it’s encouraging to see the people above you winning. The way they talk, the knowledge they give you, the things you pick up on while watching them work. It all seems doable when you see your boss as an average guy, doing the same thing you do, day in and day out. You see it’s possible, and you realize how good they are at what they do.  

When a sales manager hops on a call to save a deal and everyone in the pit stops to listen, you can see the sheer anticipation on their faces. When your boss, who started exactly where you are now, gives a moving speech at the holiday party, you notice the inspiration coursing through the room. We look up to them, admire them, and one day hope to make as much money as they do.  

Work isn’t only good for funding your vacations and car parts though. Being thrown into a situation where you might be out of your element can have you crossing paths with some pretty interesting characters. Being work friends is one of the strangest relationship dynamics I can think of. It will have a twenty-two-year-old hanging out with a forty eight year old and acting like they’re both thirty.  

It’s funny when you really think about it, some of the unlikely friends you’ve made over the years simply because you happened to be hired at the same job. That’s how simple and unintentional it is for someone to cross your path, but when you find your kind of people, you’re glad they did.  

Work fosters connections that may not have happened under other circumstances and allows for an encouraging and engaging environment. In turn, this makes employees more enjoyable to work with and increases productivity. When people have an inclusive and reassuring place to ask questions and exchange ideas, they grow as individuals and assets to the company.  

When dating, it can be even more tricky to find the right community. No matter who or what you’re into, this is definitely a place you want to feel safe, yet still be able to be yourself. Dating, much like any other relationship, is built on trust and mutual respect. These are the things you should look out for in the community you choose to date in, if it lacks these simple things that might be a red flag.  

Overall, when looking for the right community, it’s important that you feel at home. It’s easier to take the time to build relationships and find your people than it is to have to adapt to a community you end up feeling like an outcast in. Figure out what your family thinks a great community is made of and make a plan.