Finding Strength Through Community

The power and importance of community is often underestimated. Most go through their days without realizing the community around them has shaped their lives in drastic ways. You can be an insular individual with a small inner circle of connections or someone deeply rooted within a greater group of people – regardless of your preference, they are more impactful than most people usually give credit for.

Most of us began to understand said importance as recently as 2020, with the effects of COVID-19 limiting our ability to enjoy the company and connections of our specific community. Only once we are deprived of something we once found commonplace do we realize how vital it is in our daily lives. Community is so incredibly critical to our overall well being, and we as a whole are only just now starting to recover from the last two years of loneliness and separation. 

We don’t talk enough about how much strength we find through our community. When we take a look at individuals that have struggled and made decisions that impacted their livelihood negatively, we can usually identify that they have a weak or nonexistent connection to the others around them. 

Our team at TOP knows this well and strives to help. By building upon one’s community and appreciating the benefits of being in one, you can strengthen your health and overall happiness. Let’s discuss how and why you should do that.

Resilience Through Perseverance

Communities do not continue to exist and grow without things such as conflict and diversity. Some people believe the misconception that a community consists of nothing but like-minded individuals who share the same beliefs and enjoy similar things. This is far from the case for any group that has seen continued growth and consistency over years and generations.

Those that invest themselves into their community will quickly find out that there will be others in the group with conflicting points of views. While this can quickly discourage efforts to integrate or understand one another, there is much to be gained from those that successfully work through differences of opinion or any type of civil discourse. The exchange of ideas and creation of new ways of thought is fulfilling on multiple fronts. 

By individuals developing and growing themselves, so does the community they are involved in grow as well. Those who have integrated into a community at a point in their life where they are struggling will find that they know how to identify and help others who might be struggling as well. Encouraging growth through thoughtful conversation, whether it be innocuous or confrontational, can yield positive results on both fronts. 

A Sense of Belonging

There is nothing quite like the feeling of belonging to something. Only those who have fought for that can truly begin to understand how significant and important it is when they successfully find it. Being part of a thriving, successful community can provide such a feeling, and acknowledging that sense of belonging yields incredible benefits to yourself and those around you.

In our southwest Florida communities, we find that the support is growing for individuals that need assistance. The true difficulty begins with the process of reaching out to the right people.

Learning to trust your fellows, to rely on them in times of need and vice versa, can soften the consequences of deciding to act on your own. Those that come from a troubled upbringing or re-entering society after incarceration often experience difficulty in allowing themselves to integrate within a community. We should all do our parts in identifying individuals who show signs of wanting and craving that sense of belonging, and ensuring that we make appropriate efforts to help them get to a point where they can safely say they do in fact belong.

A closer and tighter community also yields bonds and connections that can help individuals persevere through all odds. By entrusting others, you present yourself to be supported in a natural manner. Reciprocation will ensure all parts of a community are supported in turn, which only tightens said bonds further.

Defining Your Purpose… Together

No, this isn’t just us making a sly reference at our own name! We would argue that one of the most important things to possess in an effort to lead a successful, fruitful life is a genuine purpose. Living independently and refusing to allow others into your life can often hamper, if not outright deny yourself a purpose in life. Becoming ingrained in a strong, vibrant community can present a sense of purpose that sets you on the path you have been looking for this entire time.

While we would never invalidate the importance of learning to live and act independently, it is vital to understand that there is always a bigger picture. There is a reason ALL of us exist, and it is up to us to determine what that reason could possibly be. More often than not, people will try and fail. There is bound to be plenty of trial-and-error in your efforts pursuing what your purpose is. Allowing yourself to enter and grow within a community can help broaden the horizon of your perspective. 

Knowing what and how you contribute to a larger objective allows you to understand when you have made a noticeable difference in your own (or someone else’s) life. Whether you’re a leader of your community or just doing your best to find and lead a life of positivity, purpose matters.

If you’re reading this as someone who has made mistakes in the past, you might be aware of how different your life has changed once you found a purpose that drives you.  Maybe you’re still looking for a way to get involved and help others. You will hopefully also be aware that there was a community that helped you do that. It could have been your close and/or extended family, your Church, your neighborhood or the co-workers at your occupation.

TOP is here to provide resources that can help you find the communities that could help you grow and continue your successes in life. If you or someone you know could benefit from our services, please contact us today! Our purpose is to help lead others to the community they have been missing in their lives.