Ideally, a community of people is joined by similar interests or beliefs.
You may belong to more than one community. You can be in a community of fitness enthusiasts or writers, or moms or entrepreneurs.
There’s no limit to how many communities you can and should join.
Communities are necessary. And with technology now, you don’t even have to be in a physical community.
Everyone belongs to a community. yes, EVERYONE. Including you. If you are a part of a church, an alumni group or you have a group of friends, then you are part of a community.
And whether that community is serving you as it should is a topic for another day.
If you like, you can actually build a new community of people.
I recently got a few of my friends to start a fitness challenge to help us get in shape. They have become a part of a new community of mine. And it’s very important to me.
You can do the same. If there are people like you who have certain interests or are trying to achieve a particular goal.
The goal could be; advancing your career, writing a book, whatever it is; you can create a small community of support. Some people call these little communities, “mastermind groups”. And they are great. Napoleon Hill was the first to mention this.
Sadly, some people do not harness the powers of being a part of a community.
Here’s why you need to find your community and make the most of it today:
1: In a community, You can feel understood.
Have you ever been interested in something so weird to the point of obsession sometimes? Of course, you have. Everyone has something they could go on about in a heartbeat. It could be politics, food, gardening, your kids.
And if you don’t, you’re missing out. There’s something so special about being immersed in an interest. It’s fun to watch your passion run wild.
I remember when I started watching Game of Thrones. I love that show so much by the way. When I met fellow fans, it was amazing. I could spend hours talking about the details. And this says a lot because I am not one to like small talk.
I go online and comment on the fan pages. Whenever I see anything GOT related, I click like automatically. And there are millions of people like me who are fans of this show.
And there are people out there who absolutely hate the show. That’s a different community of people.
But my involvement in this community is quite passive, to be honest. Compared to some people. I know people who have made money from this shared community of fans. Which brings me to my second point.
2: In a community, You can make money
Imagine a group of people with similar interests. Let’s take the fit fam community.
A global community of people who are interested in fitness. Being a part of this community, you can understand their pain points and build a solution for them. And seeing that they are already interested, you have a ready market. They can provide you with feedback, suggestions etc. and basically help you build the product for them.
3: In a community, You can find support.
This is the main benefit of being a part of a community.
As I said, it takes a village to achieve great things. I recently joined an online community for entrepreneurs, and it has provided me with so much value.
I get to connect with people. Share ideas, discover solutions to the problems I face. They are all so willing to help.
I can take polls, do surveys and get feedback on ideas that I have.
And suddenly I don’t feel so isolated in the journey.
4: In a community, You can find partners.
Business partners, life partners etc. In a community, you can find collaborators for your projects and ideas.
Finding people on the same wavelength as you can be really difficult. Just ask the solo founders in desperate need of a co-founder. It can be frustrating.
But in a community, it is easier to find people who share the same interests and values as you. And you can build great friendships and partnerships from there.
A community can open you to new life long relationships.
5: In a community, You can develop yourself.
Most communities have people in different stages. Some people are way ahead of you or maybe still coming behind. This mix of people can challenge you to grow and see things differently.
It can also help you to learn empathy, and provide you with the opportunity to help people who are coming behind.
You can enjoy mentorship from people that have already gone ahead of you.
Sometimes just interacting in a community can help you find the consistency to achieve the goals you set out to. You get inspired by everyone around you that you are able to stay your course and grow as a person.
6: In a community, You can find much-needed interaction.
I am an introvert. I remember when I used to fight this nature of mine. I so badly wanted to be more extroverted. You can imagine the frustration it brought it.
I finally stopped trying to change that aspect of me and just embraced it for what it was; complete awesomeness. So, what if I get overwhelmed by human interaction. And I prefer chats to calls. That’s fine. I am also able to connect very deeply with people. I am also able to harness my creativity in a different way.
Being a part of a community helps me to enjoy interacting with people. I personally prefer virtual communities so I can control my level of interaction, but I still enjoy face to face meets.
Connecting with people is so special to me. There’s nothing like meeting someone who is on the same frequency as you and open minded. It can feel like food to the soul.
7: In a community, You will find life more interesting.
I enjoy living vicariously through people. I may never go sky diving, but there’s someone in my circle who has. And this is fun for me.
Just having people who are similar but still uniquely different can make life more interesting.
You have people to share special moments with. They can open your eyes to things you never saw. And expose you to new experiences. Which makes life richer.
Make the most of the community you’re in.
But some people don’t make the most of the communities that they are in. And this has nothing to do with being introverted or extroverted.
The benefits of a community are available to all who choose to engage. You cannot be an idle observer. You have to get in there, connect with people. Put yourself out there, share your story, your experience, your life, offer help.
And don’t do it for some self-serving purpose, do it to imprint yourself in people. Be a part of their journey as well.
A community is like a well of magical water. Some people focus on just drawing water, while some actually pour water in.
You need to do both. Draw support and encouragement, but also give it. Everyone benefits from everyone.
AUTHOR: Nkechi Oguchi
SOURCE: medium.com
PHOTOCREDIT: humanitiesny.org
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