Being Part Of A Community: One Of The Best Insurance Policies

The Amish are known for many things, one of which is how they pull together when another member suffers a loss.

If someone’s barn burns down or needs to be replaced, they all gather together and put up a new one.  Everyone is supposed to help others in the community in need.

We frequently saw this in our society decades ago.  When a person died, others would bring meals, help with tasks around the house, and just do what was needed while the remaining family members grieved.

In today’s busy, isolated society, finding and creating a community is difficult, but not impossible.  However, it is essential, both for your social needs and as a safety net.

Benefits Of A Community

There are many benefits of a community.

According to social psychologist Gregory Walton, “Being is primal, fundamental to our sense of happiness and well-being.  Belonging is a psychological lever that has broad consequences.  Our interests, motivation, health and happiness are inextricably tied to the feeling that we belong to a greater community that may share common interests and aspirations” (CNN).

Self-growth And Encouragement

If you’re part of a community, whether it be a group at church or a group of bicycle enthusiasts, they can encourage you to grow personally, to change and to evolve.

If you’re part of a group that doesn’t naturally encourage or promote self-growth, you may want to find a different community.

Feeling Needed

As part of a group, not only do you receive encouragement, but you can also encourage and inspire new members and serve as a mentor.  In fact, the more you give, the better you’ll likely feel about yourself and your community.

Social Outlet

Our society is isolated, so meeting up with other people who share similar interests can be rejuvenating.

Safety Net

While this isn’t the prime benefit of joining a community, it is an important benefit.  Recently, a woman I’ll call Beth, who I’ve never met in person but interacted with through many online communities she and I belong to, lost everything she and her family owned in a house fire.  Luckily, she and her family escaped unharmed.  Within hours of the fire, those in her community created a Go Fund Me page.  Within 6 hours, she had received $2,600 in donations, and that is just from her online communities.  She will likely also receive support from the communities she belongs to in person.

How To Find A Community

There are many ways to find a community to belong to.

Groups With Interests Similar To Your Own

The best way to start is to find groups with interests similar to your own.  Do you have toddlers at home?  Maybe you could join a mom’s group.  If you love to hike, perhaps you could find an outdoor group.  Think about your interests and try to find groups that encourage and support your interests.

Church Groups

If you belong to a church, there are plenty of ways that you can interact with others from volunteering your time to joining a men’s or women’s group.

Facebook Groups

Of course, you’ll want to make sure to join groups in person for the social contact, but Facebook or online groups can also be a good supplement.  Sometimes the online groups can even help you connect with people locally.

While we all need insurance policies to protect us financially, belonging to a community (or two) can be the best way to insure ourselves psychologically and emotionally.

Do you belong to a community?  If so, how did you find a community that you wanted to join?