Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Electing Community

Whatever way you swung in the elections, what’s clear is this: No one person can do it alone. Community – a support network – is essential. Any mom would vouch.

It’s so easy to operate in our own little worlds, going about out days, doing our things, interacting with people for brief social moments. But when something BIG happens, usually a calamity, that’s when we peek outside of our little boxes and really take a look around.

So what the heck does being part of a community mean? What does it mean to have community?

It strikes me that community brings our hearts together. Just take a look at the elections and see how people were moved to do something in their hometowns, stretched themselves because they believe something better was possible. I know I canvassed for the first time in my life! When we know we share a common purpose with our neighbor, our spirits lift and we creatively discover what might actually be possible.

This is true for us everywhere: personally, in our businesses and places of work, in our schools, in our public places and forums.

It’s in times like these, for better or worse, that we feel part of something much larger. Consider that having community doesn’t hinge on what our bottom line is, but what we contribute to the larger whole.

So peek out. Become aware. What’s fires you up? Where do you fit in? Who might you talk to? And dare I say it, how can you shape your future?

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