Building a community may seem difficult, but communities are very important. Learn the benefits of creating communities, and how to build and nurture a great community.
Community either fulfills a real need or provides a heartbreaking sense of disappointment. Things like shared resources, socialization, and a sense of cultural belonging are all things that the community provides by bringing people together. On the other hand, toxic situations and people can make you want to leave the community and never return. Join Mysticsense to find out all about community building. Find out what communities are and the benefits that healthy communities provide. Discuss toxic communities with us and learn some ways to fix problems in the community. Finally learn a few techniques for building positive communities. Whether you're someone who is constantly interacting in your community or someone who has minimal exposure to it, everybody contributes and everybody is needed in the community. Read on to learn more about community building.
What is Community?
“ Community means that people come together around the table, not just to feed their bodies, but to feed their minds and their relationships.”- Henri J.M. Nouwen
Merriam-Webster online has a simple definition for community. They said community is “ A unified body of individuals; such as the people with common interests living in a particular area.” It is believed, based on signs found in history, that about 10,000 years ago, our first communities emerged. Agricultural settlements predated villages after a shift was made from just hunting and gathering to building agricultural communities. This was called the Neolithic revolution. Domesticating animals and crops gave people the opportunity to stay in one place and this led to towns and villages.
Individual families always lived in their own private homes, but people discovered that living nearby other people made things easier. When people come together to work farms, more food can be produced. When different people are working different types of farms, a diversity of resources can be produced. Because everybody has different skills and talents, sharing with one another means that everybody gets to enjoy the benefits of everybody else's skills and services. Besides that, we all need help sometimes and if you are completely isolated from other people, it's difficult to get help when you need it. The more people come together, the larger the community is. First there were villages and cities and entire nations. The international community joined together to make global decisions, especially now that we have the Internet.
People aren't the only ones who have communities. Most species live in some form of community although there are some species that are solitary unless they're mating like black bears, snow leopards, and wolverines. An ant colony can have between 1,000 and millions of members, and even some plants form communities called clonal colonies. In a clonal colony, a group of plants, all originating from an individual plant have been born, and live together. If plants and animals benefit from communities, imagine how much more human beings do. Read about one of the favorite plants worldwide, roses and their meaning here: The Meaning and Magic of the Rose
The Benefits of Healthy Communities
“ People working together in a strong community with a shared goal and a common purpose can make the impossible possible.” – Tom Vilsack
There are countless benefits to communities and not enough can be named. However, one of the biggest benefits of being in a community is having access to resources that can be shared. The joy of working together for a common cause is another one of the benefits of community. The mental, emotional, and physical well-being provided by the community is another one of the benefits.
Shared Resources
In your local town, there are things that everybody shares. The emergency services like fire departments and police as well as snow removal and maintaining your local parks are things that your community takes care of and everybody benefits from. People share more than that in communities though. If you need something that your friend or neighbor has, they will give it to you. If your neighbor has an emergency and has to go out of town overnight, you can take care of their pet for them. You can water their plants, and get their mail for them if you need to. If you have car trouble, they can share transportation with you and take you to and from work until your car is repaired. You can even share things with one another from your gardens.
Working Together
We work together and share our talents and skills with one another in our communities. Everyone will have a way to contribute and a large enough community. That people who are good caretakers can provide medical care, counseling, and clergy services to people who need them. People who are good with animals can work at veterinary offices or local humane societies and animal rescue centers. People who are good with plants can work in garden centers and in landscaping. People who are good in finance can work in banks. Then there are the people who are good in retail and will work in stores and restaurants. Being a part of a community means you share not only resources but also your talents. Some people are even good at resolving conflicts and can contribute their conflict resolution skills to their community. Read about how to do that here: The Complete Guide to Conflict Resolution
Wellbeing
Being a part of a community increases our sense of well-being and helps with our health. When you need help, in a community, people will be there whereas if you are not anywhere near other people, you can suffer more without the help that you need. Your emotional well-being will be improved if you have a meaningful connection with your community. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who are mentally supportive as well as friends who are emotionally supportive we'll make your life a lot happier. Some people need a connection to a spiritual community where they can share their devotion to their higher power with other people. Most people need other people in their lives to feel happy, and community provides that.
What About Toxic Communities?
“ Toxic people will pollute everything around them. Don’t hesitate. Fumigate.”- Mandy Hale
Communities are meant to uplift and be supportive, but sometimes they aren't. Some people say that they leave their communities because of toxic situations or toxic people. Misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and conflicts of interest are major things that cause people to step out of the communities that they once knew. Poor leadership, disappointments, and dissatisfaction with the community are also reasons that people leave their communities. Some community leaders abuse the privilege of their position and take advantage of community members. That's a big reason why a lot of people leave their communities.
One thing to keep in mind is that although toxic things may have happened, that's because people are imperfect, and there are problems in every community. A severely traumatic experience even if it is a one time occurrence can make somebody leave community and self isolate because they believe it will keep them safe from future harm. To an extent, everybody needs community. Whether you get emotional support, friendship, professional support, or just a sense of belonging, communities benefit us all. If you find yourself in a toxic community, you don't have to be stuck there. There will be another community that is much more nurturing. Don't let toxic situations or people make you give up on finding your community.
Fixing Problems in Communities
“To build an effective community, everyone must realize that their community is bigger than them.” – Idowu Koyenikan
No community is perfect. Problems will arise sometimes, but that doesn't mean that they can't be fixed. Members of the community can either let their problems break them apart, or they can allow their problems to bring them together. When members of the community pledge to work things out, they can fix problems. One way to do that is brainstorming solutions together, and another way to do that is to stick together to do the work instead of breaking apart.
Pledge to Work Things Out
The first step to working out a problem is to pledge to work that problem out. It is always easier to walk away from problems, but quite often if you do that, problems will just get worse and it doesn't benefit the community or any of the community members. If you dedicate yourself to finding constructive solutions and working out problems, that is the first step to fixing them. Sometimes problems are worked out quickly and easily, but other times it takes longer and it's difficult. Don't give up. Your community is more important than that. Commit to solving the problems and your community will be stronger because of you. Even if things seem chaotic, problems can be worked out. Find out why chaos isn't always a bad thing here: Why Chaotic Times Aren’t Always Bad
Brainstorm Solutions Together
One great way to fix problems in your community is to involve everybody in the solutions. When people feel included, they will take more responsibility and they will become part of solving the problems. The more people you have working on a problem, the more good ideas there will be to help solve it. Some people work better on their own, but they can still be part of the solution also. Their skills and hard work can make a great difference. An excellent way to find more solutions more quickly is to open the call for suggestions or schedule meetings where everybody's voice can be heard. Everybody can bring their skills and resources and great ideas and fix problems much faster than one person could on their own.
Work Together
Once everybody has had their say and can offer their skills, then the work can begin. It's easier to do this work if everybody is on the same page and considers themselves to be more like everybody involved than they are different. It can be more difficult to bring different people together in the community. If everybody is working toward our common goal, it makes it easier. Good leadership knows how to bring different people together also. If everybody is equally valued by the leadership, and everybody works as a member of a cohesive team and instead of competing, your chances of success at solving community problems are much higher. Remember that mutual respect is important when it comes to working as a team. Learn how to get and give respect here: The Art of Being Respectful and Being Respected
How to Build Communities
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
Some people have a natural ability to build a community and they don't even know they're doing it. It all starts with good leadership. Where the people choose good leaders it makes building community a lot easier. When everybody feels included, communities come together. Most importantly change and growth should be allowed so that the community can thrive long-term.
Choose Strong Leaders
It is estimated that the number one reason why people leave jobs and organizations is because of poor leadership. Experienced leaders know what works, what doesn't work, and they know how to work with people to get things done. They know how to treat people fairly, come up with effective policies, and they are willing to work just as hard if not harder than everybody else. Leaders are only part of the formula for a successful community. Their job is not to be the ones who make everything happen. Their job is to organize people and make sure that things are directed properly. Most importantly it is their job to make sure that the team doing the community work gets the support that it needs from them. If you have strong leadership doing all these things it's a great way to start and build your community.
Include Everybody
When people feel included, they will show up and participate. That is what community is all about, bringing people together. If people feel that they do not belong or are not appreciated, they will go and find someplace where they feel like they are. Everybody wants to be included. Everybody wants to be valued, and everybody wants to make a difference. When people find a community where they are embraced and they can thrive as a member, it builds community. While there will be similarities between people because of the type of community that you have, there will be a lot of diversity in your community no matter what the central focus is. Find a way to include everybody, and your community will grow stronger. Be open-minded to the diversity in your community. Learn about the power of open-mindedness here: The Importance of Having an Open Mind
Allow Change
Growing together as a community entails allowing things to change. Improvements will always be sought by people, and even if people are happy with the way that things are, change will be necessary sometimes. Maybe your community will get larger and you will change by welcoming more people. Maybe your community will get smaller and you will change by reducing the amount of resources that you use. The longer a community is together, the more things will change. Think of how different your personal community was 100 years ago. It will change just as much 100 years from now. Adapt to those changes and watch your community thrive.
Some people say that all communities are toxic and should be disbanded, but most people disagree. While toxic communities wreck relationships and can cause problems in people’s lives, community problems can be fixed. Community building is healthy and human beings have always needed one another, so community building is crucial. Don’t give up on your community if you run into a problem. Create solutions, and make your community stronger. They need you.
Would you like to find out how to make your community stronger? Get tips and advice from one of our talented psychics during a reading today.
We have selected the most relevant psychics for this article, you can connect with any of them and get accurate advice on this subject.
