If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together.
This African proverb beautifully summarises the spirit of togetherness and how it can help us grow and evolve into better human beings. There’s no doubt that all things are achievable alone, but the joy of doing things together makes the spirit of community all the more beautiful.
Human beings are not meant to be alone; we’re social beings, and connecting with fellow humans not only helps us build relationships but is also good for our well-being. Since the beginning, humans have been drawn toward building communities, and even today, the community spirit reflects in different forms. Right from sports clubs to storytelling sessions to volunteering groups, humans are always looking for ways to bond with each other and strengthen their societal bonds.
What Happens When We Distance Ourselves From Community?
Belonging to a community is essential for us. Even as kids, all we wanted was to go outside and spend quality time with our friends. Somehow, as we grow older, we start withdrawing into our shells, cutting ourselves off from what we crave the most - being part of a loving and supportive community. Since we’re inherently social beings, our mind finds it difficult to wrap itself around the fact that we’re alone and disconnected. This, in turn, profoundly affects our perception of ourselves, and our mental and emotional health.
How Can Being Part of a Community Help You?
There are innumerable benefits of being part of a community. Forever Young People have listed the top benefits of being part of how belonging to a group of humans can help us in our lives. Let’s have a look:
Sense of Belonging
When we find individuals with shared interests and similar values, we feel at home with them. When we interact, communicate, and share our ideas and thoughts with like-minded persons, we realise that we’re not alone in this journey. And this makes us feel valued and accepted.
A Safe Space
Having a network to fall back on is always helpful. And all of us realised this the hard way during the pandemic, where all of us heavily relied on support from the community when we needed it the most. Being part of a community gives you a sense of hope - you know you’re never alone, and you always have people you can count on in times of need. It may not always be material assistance, but being part of a community ensures we always have emotional support. And when we receive abundance, we’re on the lookout to help others in need.
The Right Influence
Birds of feather flock together - it’s a simple quote, but it carries such deep meaning. When we’re in the company of like-minded persons, we’re also under a constant positive influence. This helps us realise that our life can be a lot better without negative thoughts or unhealthy habits. We begin to consciously invest in our well-being, prioritising ourselves and steering clear of things that drain us.
New Learnings
When we’re in a community, we’re not only encouraged to pursue our passions but also have the motivation to learn new things. It's not necessary that a group of like-minded people will be completely the same - they will still have different interests, experiences, views, thoughts, and beliefs. Interacting with a group of similar (not same) people can help you develop new perspectives, hobbies, and interests too.
Development of a Sharing and Caring Nature
When you’re part of a community, you automatically feel responsible for all its members. You’re looking for ways and means to add value to the community, the space that makes you feel validated, safe and happy. Sharing does not limit just to material things - it goes beyond things and involves sharing thoughts, ideas, likes, and passions. Sharing positively impacts mental health and is known to boost positive emotions among humans.
Increased Exposure
When you mingle with a set of people extending beyond your personal space, you get access to many more people. This way, you grow your network and gain exposure to newer avenues and opportunities. With strong personal and professional relationships, your chances of coming across opportunities and succeeding at them increase.
Boosts Emotional Intelligence
A community is a dynamic unit because of the regular interactions between people. The constant interactions lead to the development of healthy relationships, which are key for coexistence in society. This also helps to improve emotional intelligence among people. With elevated emotional intelligence, we’re capable of enjoying successful relationships in our personal, professional, and societal lives.
People who are part of a community know how to understand and manage not only their own feelings but also that of their fellowmen. A higher emotional intelligence quotient helps us better understand ourselves and others, making us more empathetic and understanding.
Summing Up
As youngsters, it's great to start off early when it comes to being a part of the community. It brings an awareness of what is happening around us, which then helps us develop a sense of responsibility towards others.
Being part of a community can help you feel valued, secure, empowered, and confident while giving you the boost you require to grow emotionally, educationally, and socially.
So what are you waiting for? Choose your space - a space where you know you will grow, thrive, and flourish in your professional life and evolve into a better human being with every passing day!
Come and join us as we host our Winter Wonderland Workshops in Partnership with Wonderful Welwyn Garden City.
As part of their Christmas Light Event, we will be hosting our very own Winter Wonderland Workshops in The Howard Centre, next to WHSmith.
• All activities free of charge
• Festive fancy dress welcome!
Howard Centre, WGC
12-4pm
Saturday 19th November
We look forward to seeing you there and be sure to sticks around after as the Christmas Lights will be turned on at 6pm
Lets get involved in the festive and community spirit!
Love
