Is A Gold Medal Really What We Think It Is?

As I write this and reflect on communities, the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, better known as Rio 2016, are underway. Some of the events, like baseball, basketball, and indoor volleyball, consist of large teams. Other sports like beach volleyball and synchronized diving are two-person teams. A preponderance of events are solo events where one athlete is crowned champion.In these events, it is easy to miss something significant. In the individual competitions, a single athlete takes the podium to receive the medal and is recognized as being the best in their sport. In an era and culture where we celebrate, even idolize individual achievement, it’s always a team effort.  The Olympian may receive all of the attention and accolades, but their victory was a shared accomplishment.[clickToTweet tweet="Rarely is a solo achievement a solo quest." quote="Rarely is a solo achievement a solo quest."]So it is with Living Your WHY. Granted it is your WHY, and you are intimately involved in the living of it, but good luck going it alone. You won’t get far. Nor is it likely that you will reach your destination in isolation. You need others and we need you. In good conscience, I can’t make this all about YOU and write why YOU need community. That might give you the wrong idea that you need it and I don’t. No, we all need a place where we belong. A place where people know us by name and accept us for who we are, not what we have or what we’ve accomplished. Many of the writings about finding purpose in life are focused solely on the individual to the exclusion of a community connection. You could take the position that the essential elements needed for Living Your WHY are clarity, courage, and confidence. The three points of the triangle and the first 3Cs of Living Your WHY.Truth be told, I probably operated that way for years. I doubt I would have said it publicly, but it was the hidden message I had received from the Superhero and Lone Ranger syndromes. Then, I realized there’s a fourth C that is vital to Living Your WHY in a holistic and sustainable way. That’s community. Granted, Living Your WHY may put you in the spotlight as the face of an organization or even a movement. Don’t ever succumb to the delusion that it’s all about you or that you can do it alone. You can’t. I can’t. None of us can. As John Donne penned decades ago,

No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent.

We need a place to belong and to be part of something bigger than ourselves. I now visualize this as a circle surrounding the triangle of Clarity, Courage, and Confidence. Placing those in a community environment and surrounding the individual actions in a corporate context.[clickToTweet tweet="The reality is it takes a community to Live Your WHY." quote="The reality is it takes a community to Live Your WHY."]

What Happens in Community that can’t Happen in Isolation?

Let’s be honest, our understanding of community has been watered down and cheapened. Where you live might be labeled a community, but if you don’t know the names of the people who live next to you, and never interact with them, you live in a neighborhood, not a community. Neighborhoods are areas that surround a particular place. Communities are places of interaction and involvement. Likewise, many “online communities” also fail the test of what it means to be a community. Just because you all use the same software or hardware falls a bit short of true community. Genuine communities foster connection, conversation, camaraderie, and contribution. With a key distinction being that is mutual, a giving and a receiving. The connection, conversation, camaraderie, and contribution are shared. When it comes to Living Your WHY you want (and need) to connect with others who share your values, support your dream, and help you think through opportunities and decisions. Others who invest in your journey and likewise you invest in theirs. Others who are farther along the journey and can help you as you ponder your path and navigate the tricky parts.Community does not eliminate competition but reframes it so that it is healthy or cooperative competition or coopetition as some have labeled it. Communities recognize that a rising tide lifts all boats and work together for the greater good. And it’s not just a greater good.

The Beautiful Good

The Greeks had a vibrant vocabulary that was rich in many ways and often had more than one way to express a concept.  One Greek word used for community was  κοινωνία. Koinonia means communion, joint participation, a gift jointly contributed, a collection, or even a collective. To me, κοινωνία communicates authentic community. Authentic community goes deeper than simply coming together because of common interests, whatever they may be. Koinonia embraced a strong commitment to "kalos k'agathos" meaning "good and good." In this understanding of community, there is an inner goodness that connects us with others who are like-minded. Together, we jointly participate to create and share something greater than any one of us could do on our own. That’s true collaboration. That’s community!I don’t know about you, but that’s something I want. To be part of a mutually sharing and supporting community that unites together to create jointly something more beautiful and beneficial than we could ever create alone. And through that, to create greater impact than any of us could in isolation.

Where’s Your Community?

Have you found the community where you belong? A place where people support you on your quest for Clarity, Courage, and Confidence as you Live Your WHY. A place where you can make your contribution to help others on their journey. I certainly hope so. And I would love to learn about your community. To discover how it works and what it does to nurture and support its members.

Want to Join Ours?

I want to support and encourage you in Living Your WHY. Perhaps all you need is to join the Living Your WHY Community. That’s easy, just visit the group and ask to be added. Maybe you want to enroll in the next 30-Days to Living Your WHY group coaching program or explore engaging in a 1:1 coaching relationship. Take your next step now -- whatever it is. Find a place where you can get the Clarity you need, muster the Courage to take the next step, and help you increase your Confidence, and most of all, a vibrant Community where you are a vital member.The world needs you Living Your WHY.If you want to learn more about the 30-Day program, please share your name and email. We'll send you more information.[convertkit form=4898505]Opening graphic created by feedough and licensed through DepositPhotos.com.