To connect to community and purpose, it is important to connect intentionally to the communities where you live and work. Think local. What are the natural communities centered around your everyday life and work? Where do you go where other people are during the course of a given week?
Along the Spiral of Connection that includes five connection points to a deepening sense of community and belonging, the third point of connection is a connection to the Larger Community. This typically means your local community, the places where you live and work. Facilitating this connection to community lies at the very heart of True Center’s mission.
October events at True Center support you in cultivating community by connecting to local opportunities in Woodstock and Cherokee County. Opportunities include workshops for every interest category, from ongoing yoga and meditation classes to our “Got to Love Yarn” knitting group, from journaling courses to employment readiness classes.
>>> Browse All True Center Events Here <<<
Hidden Barriers: Connect to Community and Local Opportunities
Most often, people simply don’t know where to begin. Faced with either an overwhelming number of options or not knowing about what’s available in their own community, many of us fall into patterns of complacency and don’t venture out.
There are many natural networks of belonging that provide fertile ground for our experience of community. Begin by considering the place you call home. How can you connect to existing opportunities right in your neighborhood? What if you started something?
Consider relationships and opportunities to build community in the workplace. From casual conversation around the water cooler to workplace social functions, there are likely already opportunities to connect to and cultivate community at work.
In addition, social clubs, centers of worship, and civic organizations offer opportunities to expand your social circle. Community centers like True Center, offer workshops and events that provide even more opportunities to engage in the world around us and experience greater meaning and purpose.
“It is important to tend the whole garden so that the entire system is nurtured and flourishes. Because we are all connected we must not overlook any aspect of the whole or the entire system will suffer. To connect to community, connect to your true self.” ~ Eve Willson
3 Practical Ways to Begin to Cultivate and Connect to Community
Cultivating and tending to the whole garden of our lives does take effort. How can we take practical steps to connect to opportunities right in our backyard for a deeper, more fulfilling experience of community?
#1—Volunteer. Make it a goal to volunteer regularly for community organizations. This puts you out in the community, where you are likely to hear about more opportunities for connection, engagement, and involvment than you ever knew existed!
#2—Be a good neighbor. Offer to help out aging or disabled neighbors. Could you help pick up a loaf of bread or sweep that sidewalk? How can you cultivate connections with people who live near you? Be creative and see how great you feel about your community when you express your concern for the people who share it with you.
#3—Become an engaged citizen. Educate yourself on what’s happening in your local community. Let your voice be heard by casting your vote in local and state elections. If you see a need, consider stepping up with others who care to meet that need.
Be sure to join us for the kick-off Community Conversation and free pizza lunch on October 2 to discuss more ways to cultivate connections to community.
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