In today’s installment of my officially un-official “Why Community” series, I want to talk about why communities bring out the best in us.
We can talk about how communities help serve us, but how do we serve our communities? And are we becoming better, more loving people? I think that putting yourself into a community and really participating helps you turn your heart towards others. A community can’t function if everyone is out for themselves. Just by being part of one, you say “I want to live for others, not just for my own gain.”
It’s a twofold, beautiful fact of life – you give love, you get love back. But you have to give the love, without the pretense of just getting it back. We all know that one person that nobody really likes because they are mean, self-serving, or uninterested in anyone else. It’s hard to love that person, huh? (Even though you should love them anyway!) Those people don’t place themselves in the community, but outside it.
So why community? Because humans are made to be social and to live together with others. Communities help you tolerate and celebrate differences, find parts of yourself that are great, and not so great. Communities remind us that we aren’t alone on this planet, and we are supposed to act with OTHERS in mind.
So take a look at the communities you are part of, or building. How can you serve them? How can you make the “family” better by sharing love and happiness with the members? And how can you encourage everyone else to do the same?
