7 Benefits of Living Your WHY in Community Rather than Isolation

Are you an army of one? A lone ranger? Have you come to accept the cultural myth that you should be independent and self-sufficient? It's possible that you heard the slogan about being an army of one and thought that meant a lone individual rather than a community of individuals united as one. Just as no one is an island, no one person is an army.Have you discovered that you cannot accomplish anything of significance in isolation? Perhaps you’ve tried; I know I have.I remember growing up watching The Lone Ranger, and when I think about it now, even the Lone Ranger wasn’t a solo act. Remember Tonto? He was the faithful sidekick to the Lone Ranger. And how far would the Lone Ranger have gotten without his horse, Silver? They were a team! They were better together. So are you. And so am I.  Even a monk who has taken a vow of silence still lives as part of a monastic community. I explored that in an earlier post that you can get here if you missed it.

How are we better together?

What is it that we find in community that doesn’t exist in isolation? It’s a question I’ve pondered for a long time now — both philosophically and existentially.Here’s my list of seven benefits I treasure about communities:

1. The opportunity to connect deeply (and sometimes quickly) with like-minded people.
2. Inspiration. For all kinds of things - to create, to innovate, to experiment, and to persevere.
3. The encouragement that is mutual and reciprocal. Sooner or later, we all experience difficulties. In community, there are times when you are the encourager and other times when you need encouragement.
4. A sounding board that listens and responds. People who are invested in your life and committed to your success who will listen, ask hard questions, and provide wise counsel.
5. A safe place to share your dreams, process your failures and be appreciated for who you are and what you have to contribute.
6. Collaboration — since we are better together than we are alone, communities are great places to find collaborators and do things together that have greater impact than you could ever accomplish alone.
7. Cheerleaders who genuinely want to see you succeed and celebrate your accomplishment or your progress. As well as the opportunity to cheer for others.

King Solomon, highly regarded for his wisdom, understood that we are better together than we are alone. He penned his own list of benefits:

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.Share the work, share the wealth.And if one falls down, the other helps,But if there’s no one to help, tough!Two in a bed warm each other.Alone, you shiver all night.By yourself you’re unprotected.With a friend, you can face the worst.Can you round up a third?A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped. (The Message, Ecclesiastes 4.9-12)

I see at least five benefits in Solomon’s list.  Have you ever struggled to pick yourself up?When I’ve fallen in the yucky pity pit and succumbed to “woe is me” thinking, that’s when I need to “phone a friend” or have someone throw me a lifeline. How about brainstorming when you’re the only brain in the conversation? Does that get the best ideas on the table? I don’t think so. Who balances your seesaw? It takes two to seesaw (and tango.) You and me — we are wired for community, for relationship, and interrelationship. I polled members of Living Your WHY — an online community that supports one another on the journey to fully expressing their life purposes — for their answers to this question:

“How does being part of a community help you find and fulfill your WHY?”

Here’s what they had to say:Philip:

“Synergy is awesome. Iron truly sharpens iron! I’m better at being my WHY because of support from my community.”

Lisa & Kris:

“Being part of a community helps me get different perspectives.”

Sean:

“Relationships inspire purpose and activity!”

Tom shared a great list:

1) "We need to know and be known."2) "We get to experience “qualified” or “relevant” love (not shallow or superficial)."3) "I can serve and be served at a higher, meaningful level."4) "I can also be challenged and held accountable in more “qualified” and “relevant” ways."

Susan:

“I am reminded to take action when I see others — in a community, I choose to be in — taking action.”

Alison:

“Community shapes everything we do and we all have the power to shape our communities. I don’t think anything we created would have been created without first building a strong sense of community.”

WOW! What a great list. Did we miss something? What are the benefits of being in community that you most enjoy? Please add in the comments below. [clickToTweet tweet="You cannot accomplish anything of significance in isolation, significance always involves others." quote="You cannot accomplish anything of significance in isolation, significance always involves others."]When you find the right others, they will bring out the best in you and you do the same for them. You will be better together. If you are looking for a community to support you in Living Your WHY, please join us.Want to receive updates about new blog posts and Living Your WHY? [convertkit form=4898348]***Living Your WHY commits to protecting your privacy. We will not share your information with anyone.***