This week I’d like to discuss the importance of community.

The importance of community is vital for us as human beings as we thrive off connectivity.

We’ve seen how the lack of connection has effected people & their mental health throughout the pandemic just to attest to that fact.

It’s important to know that in order to be a good friend to anyone, you must be a good friend to yourself first.

To have the capacity to show up for someone means you too need to be able to show up for yourself.

It’s important to have support surrounding you in all aspects of life but we must also allow ourselves to be supported or helped when needed.

Survival mode tactics have made many of us feel the need to take matters into our own hands & do everything ourselves or figure out things on our own.

This mentality will leave you feeling alone, drained, & exhausted.

To have support or help from someone shouldn’t be viewed as being a burden or pitiful, we all need help sometimes & with community comes the act of service.

Someone doesn’t necessarily need to do the things you do in order to show support.

There are many ways support can be shown such as:

⁃ Doing a good deed

⁃ Lending a helping hand

⁃ Listening to someone

⁃ Showing up for someone

⁃ Encouraging others

These are just some examples of how you can show support to someone.

It’s easy to notice who doesn’t support you & although it may be hurtful, continue on anyway.

The support we need will always show up when we need it most but again, you must allow that support in.

Sometimes those survival mode tactics that kept you safe & getting things done prior to this point can become your downfall.

If you have people trying to help you & you constantly deny the help then it makes it hard for people to even want to lend that helping hand.

The rigidity creates no space for flexibility.

I know we can feel like a burden or needy when asking for help but the community who supports you will not view you as such.

If you believe that you have to do everything all alone, then you will.

If you have faith in community showing up for you & supporting you, then you will have that encouragement.

If you haven’t found your community yet, that’s ok.

As I mentioned before, being a good friend to someone means being a good friend to yourself first.

Being a good friend to yourself can start with maintaining self-care, setting boundaries, doing things that bring you pleasure, exercising, meditating, reading, resting, or even cooking yourself a nice home cooked meal.

However, to me personally being a good friend to yourself is a little deeper than that. To me it starts with believing in yourself & your choices, loving yourself, trusting yourself, & showing up for yourself. When this is done, you seek less of this from others because you possess those feelings from within.

When your cup is full only then can you be able to pour into others.

Community is all around us & accepting assistance is necessary to keep the collective flowing.

The wheel of fortune is forever turning, pay it forward when you can.

⁃ MML