Community is always important. In difficulty times, however, the importance of community makes itself even more apparent. Learn what we mean today.
If there’s one universal truth, it’s this: people need other people.
We know this now more than ever before. Because healing’s interpersonal, it happens in relationships; that’s why we need community.
Remember that romantic notion that says your soulmate is your other half? While that’s entirely untrue, (you are whole as you are), the point is about balance. Relationships show us our wholeness.
A strong community is like having many soulmates; it gives a sense of place surrounded by a sense of your people. The importance of community is therefore immense; these connections keep us healthy and level.
Too much connection can deter us from ourselves and too little contact keeps us isolated. When it comes to balanced connections, it’s important to understand why communities are important, especially during hard times.
The Importance of Community
It’s human nature to connect. We are hard-wired to relate with people as a social species. There are two factors involved in understanding what makes a community strong.
They are:
- Defining parts of a community
- Applying this definition to your life
Most people understand part one with ease. Let’s work on part two. To embody community is to truly know its power in your life.
Without integrating the importance of community for yourself, you’ll miss the benefits of this unique connection!
Here’s how to do it.
Parts of a Community
Because community is such a commonly used word, its meaning can get muted. It’s easy to call any group of people a community, but what truly makes one is the strength of its members, structure and core principles.
When asking yourself What is a good community? there are a few underlying threads. The word community suggests communing and common-unity. Naturally then, what makes a positive community is having a positively focused mission.
The traits of a strong community might look like:
- Sharing common goals, values, ethics, morals, or hobbies
- Being inclusive and celebrating diversity
- Having mutually agreed upon rules
- Gathering routinely, fostering friendships inside and/or outside the group
- Being active participants of the group; volunteering and contributing often
- Being part of a greater vision or mission, even if that’s the importance of community
- Upholding a collaborative dynamic
- Something that is built and maintained over time
In a sense, communities are sophisticated. If navigating one relationship is complex, imagine doing that times the number of members in your community. One thing remains true: the benefits far outweigh the costs.
What Is a Good Community?
There’s a difference between a community and a good community. The difference rests within you and your intuitive knowing. Just because a community has all of the above principles doesn’t mean it’s right for you, personally.
Like any relationship, communities are a commitment. As is also true in relationships, you get what you give. If you’re going to invest in a community, you’ll want to feel good about it.
You may find a sense of community in the following places:
- A religious or spiritual group
- An online or in-person professional community
- An online or in-person creative community (art, writing, music)
- Social media
- A gender-specific group
- A therapeutic group
- A group specific to a hobby of yours
- Book club
- A parent / mom / dad community
- The singles community
- The queer community
- Your neighborhood community
There are endless places and groups for connection these days. Just because the group exists, however, doesn’t mean you resonate with it.
Where might you find a community that’s true for you?
Why Is Community Important?
Community is far more than being social. This post is not just about gaining friends. Community is a staple to our humanness and where we go in hard times.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs tells us that we require love and belonging to be well. Far more than seeing love and connection as a bonus, they’re imperative to our wellness. Community is an easy way to find that support.
When it comes to the importance of community, here’s the ultimate list for why we need it. Community does the following things.
- It fosters love and connection
- It shows us who our resonant people are
- It helps us grow together and separately
- It creates something greater than ourselves
- It provides a balance between self and other
- It offers support when we’re imbalanced
- It’s a reliable place to turn to
While the strongest communities develop over time, community can happen instantaneously, too.
In hard times especially, our humanness is the only thing we need to bind us. It’s our common thread. Hard times show us our capacity to instantly connect.
What’s stronger than that?
What Does Your Community Look Like?
When you think about the importance of community, what do your engagements tell you? Maybe you’re half committed to some groups. Maybe you feel obliged to others.
When developing a sense of community for yourself, it might help to identify the following things.
- What do I value?
- What do I seek in relationships?
- What would make me happy to do with others?
- What are the core principles of my ideal community?
- Where in my life are those principles shared?
- Who do I consider to be like-minded people?
- What’s important to my sense of self?
- What are my priorities? Fun? Philanthropy? Networking?
The good news is this: there’s no shortage of opportunity for connection. You have the ultimate freedom to craft where you find yours.
When it comes to hard times, remember: since humans are hard-wired for connection, we will find it no matter what.
We are adaptable by nature. We are loving by nature. Therefore, we are community-focused and solutions-oriented.
Knowing our nature as a species fosters hope. It helps us navigate the turmoil through a lens of light.
Let the light guide you to wherever feels like home. Your people are waiting.
For more on healthy lifestyles, check out our other blog posts!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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