The Promise of Community

Posted byLisa at Micro of the MacroPosted inHealth & Well-BeingTags:, , , , ,

The American Heritage Dictionary defines community as a group of people living in the same locality and under the same government.  Or I should say, that is the first definition. Way down at the sixth definition, the words sharing, participation, and fellowship appear. Because our lives can be so enhanced by being part of a community, perhaps the dictionary should reverse the order of those meanings.

Group kayaking is a fun way to meet and engage with friends. Thank you, Jan, for the photo!

Marta Zaraska, science journalist and author of Growing Young: How Friendship, Optimism, and Kindness Can Help You Live to 100, writes about how strong relationships are just as important to being healthy as what we eat and how much we exercise.  One of the findings she shared: living in a community where neighbors care about one another means, for women, cutting the risk of coronary heart disease by a third.

In fact, an article in Psychology Today states that because our social connections literally shape our brain development, our network of social support serves as the most profound predictor of our health and well-being.  

Hiking with a group allows you a chance to strengthen relationships.

The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research & Education at Stanford University published a write-up indicating that social connection is critical but subjective.  In other words, whether you have loads of friends and family or very few, it’s how connected you feel that counts.  Feeling lonely or unloved can result in compromised immunity, a higher likelihood of depression, and a shorter lifespan. 

Reconnecting with others in the Arizona blogging community is always a treat!

From a piece in Frontiers in Psychology: Love is the positive emotion that connects people. Attachment, care giving-receiving, and positive affect always have others as the reference point. Raising awareness that we are all one people and that we are all interdependent and connected worldwide is crucial and has become a focus in social support research.

Fostering a stronger sense of connection with others can be done in many ways.  Volunteering, taking a class, hosting game nights, reconnecting with old friends, and attending church services are just a few examples. 

By upping your sense of community, the amount of time you feel good increases immediately.  So let’s get busy connecting!

Community events are a great way to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.

Blessings for Connection,

Lisa

If you enjoyed this post, you might also check out my first post on community, A Secret to Happiness.

The content of this article is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with a qualified health care professional before acting on any information presented herein. Any statements about the possible health benefits of any subject discussed have not been evaluated by medical professionals or the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or illness.

47 thoughts on “The Promise of Community”

  1. It’s so true, yet in this day and age with the internet, I feel like community can get pushed aside.
    That’s why it was so wonderful that you put the day together for us.
    Thank you, thank you, thank you
    XOOX
    Jodie

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  6. PS: Off topic – This is something that many blog owners don’t know happens on their blogs – but encounter it when commenting on others. After readers submit their comment, a “Subscription” popup box appears. This is something WP added (and annoys many). I recently learned how to remove it.

    If you want to disable it, go to your Dashboard, then Settings > Newsletter …. In the first box, turn off “Enable subscription pop-up for commenters” …. then Save.

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    1. Hi, Miriam, I appreciate your popping over & leaving your comment. Agreed, it’s been a joy for me to get to know some of the Arizona bloggers face-to-face, and also some frequent visitors to my site virtually, like you! I’m grateful to be a part of the WP community. Looking forward to seeing where you’re staying & playing now! ☀️

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    1. Cindy, hi!!! It’s been a long time! Great to see you & read your kind words. Hope all is well with you guys. The leaves are changing here & so much grapple fell last night that, looking at the ground this morning, I thought we got snow! Take good care, my friend. Miss you! ☀️

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  14. Couldn’t agree more. We are a social creature whether we choose to admit it and we get better when we are part of something. I will say (and this is particularly of maybe the last 5-8 years that there can be a negative impact if that chosen “community” is not positive/nurturing/supportive. I find that negativity can really feed on itself and amplifies tremendously when in an though echo chamber. Most telling in your accompanying shots is everyone is smiling – and that my friends is what the goal should be for everyone. As an FYI, I just finished Comfort Crisis and that has to be in my top 5 books I have ever read. Might be difficult for a vegetarian to get through as the vehicle is essentially a hunt, but I have to say the concepts hit home (not to mention explains a lot about my ultra obsession). Thanks for another thought provoking post Lisa.

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    1. Thanks for adding to the conversation, Brian. You’re right – the wrong people can have less than desired effects on us. I can personally testify to that. As we get older, I think it becomes easier for most of us to make better choices for friends & groups. I appreciate your being here! ☀️

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  15. Wonderful post! I love how you weave so many important aspects of community together. It is kind of like a garden. We can keep planting seeds that will grow into something new. We grow and change and that picture of community adapts with those changes.

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  17. Pingback: When speaking of “promise” – Some View on the World

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