Finding a Community

What does the word "community" mean to you?

Do you think of a town or city? Do you picture people you know and regularly associate with? Maybe you don't think of anything specific when asked to think of a community.

As I searched the internet to find a good, general definition of community, a lot of sources started by saying a community was a group of people that live in the same area. While that is certainly one aspect of what a community could be, I knew that wasn't what I was looking for.

Finally, I found it. The best way to describe what a community can, and should be. The explanation was buried in a 2015 article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review, but it really got to the heart of the matter:

First and foremost, community is not a place, a building, or an organization; nor is it an exchange of information over the Internet. Community is both a feeling and a set of relationships among people. People form and maintain communities to meet common needs.

Yes! Community is about the people and the relationships they form.

Communities can be created for any number of reasons—there is usually a common cause to bring everyone together for a specific purpose. While the conversations may change or move away from the original reason for the community over time, all the members in the group still share that same bond over a particular thing in common.

It doesn't matter where you meet, or how you connect. Don't get me wrong, those things are important. Without a way to meet or connect, you wouldn't have a way or a place to build a community! But in the end, it's the connection that makes a community. People coming together because they share something in common.

It's one of the best ways to reinforce the fact that, even on your worst days, you do not have to go at it alone. There's is someone out there who gets it—maybe even lived a similar situation—and they can share in your struggles and your triumphs right alongside you.

Doesn't that sound great?

Are you currently part of a community?

If not, what's holding you back? Fear? Anxiety? Apathy?

Whatever you might feel that is keeping you from finding a community, I would strongly urge you to try to work toward taking a step toward finding and joining a community.

You might be amazed at what you will find when you do.

Thank you for your time and attention,

-Nikki

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