After my time in Bali observing their strong communities (see prior post linked here) I realized that I have several very strong communities that show up in different ways.
This past week I celebrated a year anniversary with a group that formed from a seminar that we all took last summer. We are all very different and yet the same. We all have a strong desire to keep growing, learning, and living fully. I am not always successful at doing these things. But, I know that when I meet with this group, they will help me see what I am doing that I do not recognize myself or gently push me to keep going or get unstuck. I know they want the best for me as much as I want the best for each of them.
Another community I belong to is the National Speakers Association; this is another supportive group that is invaluable to me. As a relatively new business owner and professional speaker, I am a target for many different people/businesses who want me to purchase their services. Some of these people are unscrupulous and have no desire to provide a valued service, but it is often difficult to tell them from the good ones. This past week, my group saved me some time at the least and a lot of money at the most in warning about a few of the dishonest offers being sent out in e-mail. We have a yahoo group that is just amazing in its’ value of providing helpful communication to everyone at once. There is a constant theme of sharing and wanting the best of success for each member.
There are several other communities in my world (friends, family, ICF, etc…) that I am in no way undervaluing by not mentioning them here. In fact, this past weekend I also celebrated three years since meeting one of my biggest supporters, Walt, who is my “champion” (as they call it in the movie, “Eat, Pray, Love”). It was not that long ago that several of these groups (and my champion) did not exist in my world. My world has transformed and I attribute a lot of it to their support and to many others not mentioned.
In our culture of independence, we often think that we are weak or inadequate if we need support or to ask for help. In reality, it is the exact opposite; no one is a “self-made millionaire.” There are always teams of support behind every success.
What stories will you share of the supportive communities in your world? Please share in a comment
photo credit: Erica Marshall