(ThySistas.com) Being part of a community is a special feeling. Even the most introverted among us do require some form of social contact, and being with an ‘in-group’ of people you love and respect is often a feeling quite unlike any other. Yet it can sometimes feel, especially in current times where pressured societal shifts or the ease in which technology allows us convenience in communication, that we haven’t so much of a community after all.
But that’s not true. Communities exist no matter where you go, and contributing to them can be something that truly does help fill you with a deep level of satisfaction. This is the opportunity that we all have to cherish, and teach our children of. So for that reason, we hope to use this space to help discuss the true value of community, and from there, understand just how we can enter it into our lives once more. The more we can find this a potential possibility, the more we can stop feeling as though it’s such a limited need to fulfill.
Please, consider:
Finding Your People
It can be nice to be among like-minded people, or more than that, to find community with those whom you have little in common but still 
wish to share with anyway. The truth is that even though we may differ on the surface, or through our cultural customs and origins, we’re all people at the end of the day. This is what made food programs such as Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown so special, because he’d travel from area to area and show that no matter what, good food is always appreciated, and sharing that among people you appreciate is an act of love.
People come together for a whole host of reasons, and not always due to their genetic makeup. While there should be absolutely no problem with people of any race sticking together and supporting each other despite how worthwhile a natural and diverse country will also be, it can be nice to view people as more than that. For instance, someone overcoming a difficult time in their life, perhaps with substance abuse, may wish to use their recovery success to inspire young adults or people who are also struggling, letting them know that a better tomorrow is possible. Find your people, but don’t keep the parameters too narrow. You never know where your family may be.
An Inspired Message
It can be nice to remind ourselves of just how powerful community efforts can be from time to time. There’s sometimes a feeling as though caring for one another or making incremental changes where it counts is lost in this overly corporatized world, but that’s simply not the truth. If we care for each other, and make that habit the standard, we can move mountains no matter who we are.
Amazing figures such as Cynthia Telles show this each and every day, while it could also be that historical figures, such as Dr. Martin Luther King and many more anti-discrimination campaigners, drive your inspiration. Yet while these excellent examples showcase the various means in which community action can always be important, sometimes we can also think on a more personal level, rather on that which matters to you. For instance, it could be that you are hoping to make a community of friendly peers and colleagues within your small business. As you have the power to arrange team-building exercises and activities, bringing people together could be as simple as investing in them during the right moments.
Contributing & Learning
Of course, community is an active and dynamic force, not simply a means in which to group people together artificially. People must contribute to a community to remain a part of it in a meaningful way. For instance, families and relationships must work together in order to ensure their unit stays together, even if this means being polite, respectful and caring each and every time they meet.
How can we contribute to our own community? Might it be learning how certain issues may be holding them back? For instance, it’s not uncommon for those with disabilities to feel themselves, if they have particular oratory talent, to better speak on their issues to spread awareness and help people understand the societal troubles they are experiencing. This is a highly specific example, and not everyone needs to be a representative, but it can be nice to pull your weight in a given community. This is true even if this simply means remaining an encouraging member.
A Worthy Cause
Of course, purpose can bring together people from many different walks of life in the best possible way. A worthy cause, then is sometimes worth thinking about and moving towards. We’re not necessarily only speaking in political terms, but if you wish to interpret that as a worthwhile purpose, you are more than welcome to.
Instead, you may feel as though you wish to keep the customs of a community alive, or preserve its traditions. There are many classically trained French chefs working around the world right now, trying to keep alive the habits and practices of past gastronomic inspirations. You need only watch high-level food documentaries to better understand how this is felt and appreciated from day to day.
A worthy cause may also be necessary to follow if hoping to fight injustice, or to take an issue to higher court. For instance, John Stewart’s continual action to help the 9/11 first responders gain access to secured medical care and help after the sacrifice they gave that day has helped the community be listened to by congress. No matter where you fall on the political divide, it’s not hard to appreciate the importance of this work and the power of community there.
With this dialogue, we hope you can start to believe in the power of community once more. It can be a very special thing, provided we curate it as carefully as the smallest kindled flame.
Staff Writer; Shelia Day