There are SO many different types of communities. Consider where you live, your profession, your interests, and your circumstances. You have belonged to, grown out of, and will join communities.
The power of belonging to a community is that it can transform your life and open up new doors and opportunities that you thought were never possible. Here are five solid reasons why you should join a community:
Strength in Knowledge. The benefits of engaging in a community include staying on top of trends in your industry or your interests and accessing up-to-date resources in one place. Left to our own devices, gathering this information would be more difficult, and we probably wouldn’t do it. Cue your community! In a community, you can belong in a hub with other members that share their experiences, offer insights, and connect with resources to improve something in your life.
Inspired Action. People in a community lift each other up. Community can even be tied to a movement. What does your community stand for that you agree with? Movements have impact because they bring forth the opportunity for change, provide a climate for new ideas, and shift boundaries. Communities unite you to take inspired action and bring about change together.
You’re Not Alone. Community gets you. As humans, we primarily have two goals: To get away from pain and to experience joy and pleasure. Communities provide you with the place where you can connect with other about your pain and/or about finding joy. For example, if you’re a healthcare professional and you’re experiencing high levels of stress that your non-healthcare friends can’t relate to, you can join a community with other healthcare professionals that are also going through the same thing and receive resources, share tips and hacks, and support one another.
New Opportunities. You’d be surprised at the wonderful things that arise from joining a community. You expand your network, develop crucial connections and relationships, and build your personal and/or your professional reputation. You can explore opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and leadership. New possibilities for how you live your life, how you do business, and things you create in a community can enrich you and enhance your quality of life.
Perks. Some communities give you major perks for joining their community- early access, VIP opportunities, and discounts to products, programs, and events that occur within the community. Communities go beyond an online group or forum- they can create culture and identity. For example, Create and Cultivate does an extraordinary job of creating a culture around their business. This culture consists of largely millennial women looking to create the business of their dreams, all while drinking champagne and wearing pink suits and jean jackets (there’s much more to them than that, but you get the idea).
“[Movements have impact because they] shift boundaries of what is socially acceptable and expected. They provide a climate for new ideas. Institutional change cannot happen without movements.”
Al Etmanski, author of Six Patterns to Spread Your Social Innovation
Where can you find community? Thankfully we have the ‘interwebs’ and the world at our finger tips. You can find communities online advertised through Meetup, Instagram, or Facebook that remain online or meet in-person. You can check your libraries, universities, hospitals, and other local centers where groups meet on a regular basis.
There are communities for everyone- introverts, gardeners, entrepreneurs, small business owners, dog walkers, etc. Now go out there and find the communities that light you up.
Good News: As CEO and co-founder, I’m excited to announce that Joy Energy Time is launching an online wellness club for healthcare professionals this September. If you’re a healthcare professional, you can sign up for the wait list and/or share this with your team: Joy Energy Time Club Wait List.
