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Low Entropy Volunteer Writer Grace Cheng tells us all about community – what it means and why it’s the bee’s knees.

 

To me, a community is a group of people who have learned how to communicate openly and honestly with each other. Their relationships grow closer when they share their emotions in moments of celebrating, mourning and rejoicing. Community is made up of both feelings and a set of relationships. Members of a community have a great sense of trust, belonging, safety and caring for one another. The treasured feeling of a community comes from shared experiences and histories.  

 

As we know, life is full of ups and downs, and I thank my community because they have always been there for me in times of sorrows and in times of happiness. My community has taught me to appreciate life more. In times of happiness, we have celebrated together and patted each other’s backs, and in times of sorrow, we have consoled and healed each other.  

 

My community has helped me to build a strong personality. It has given me the heart to love, care and be kind. I have learned the value of community, and they are the ones who carry me when I have fallen, comfort me when I am lost, laugh with me, care for me and walk with me. I learn from my community each day and my gratitude for them only increases as I discover more about myself. My community means the world to me.

 

Community addresses our most fundamental needs in that we want to be loved, we don’t want to be alone and we want to know that we belong somewhere. Real communities give us this sense of home, this sense of family, this sense that these are my peers, this is my tribe and this is where I belong. In this group, we are accepted for who we are. A community gives people a sense of shared identity, that we are together. The sum is larger than the individual parts. This shared identity matters because it takes the group beyond individuals in one-on-one relationships. Many of us express our interests, ambitions and goals through people we spend time with, and community becomes part of our identities.

 

A community is more than a group of people living in the same geographic zone. Communities can be anything from a physical place where people connect, to a virtual space such as social media, to private community groups. Communities put like-minded people together who share similar characteristics and interests. Every community has specific rules and regulations to meet its needs.

 

A community offers a sense of spirit, character and pride that increases the health of its members. 

Being part of a community can make us proud that we are a part of something greater than ourselves.

 

There are many benefits to being part of a community:

 

• Support: Being part of a community allows us to give support to one other. Supporting each other can help us feel good about ourselves. We live such busy and stressful lives, there is often insufficient time to assist others when they are struggling with their mental and physical wellbeing.
• Influence: Community brings empowerment. When we feel empowered, we have a sense of control, allowing us to have a positive influence and make a difference to our community members.

• Sharing: When we share our ideas with others it can stimulate our growth in knowledge and insight, as well as innovation. 
• Reinforcement: Having a community can reinforce our spirits through us motivating one another to build a positive experience and a sense of togetherness.
• Connection: A community can help build valuable relationships, connections and a sense of belonging.
• Resources: Community is a great resource for knowledge.
• Passion: Community allows us to share ideas that we are passionate about.  

 

Communities play a critical role in every part of our lives. We have communities in our friends, our families, our jobs, our neighbourhoods and other places. We can find community in sports teams, artists, food, music and entertainment. Having a sense of community unites us and gives us a sense of togetherness. It can give us opportunities to connect with people to reach our goals, and make us feel safe and secure.

You know where you can find an awesome community? Riiiight here! If you’ve read enough of these, you probably saw that coming. Still, click on it and join! You heard what Grace said! It’ll be great!