Creating Intentional Community and What It Means to Belong

Connection and community are so important to our well-being and ability to thrive.

Even though there are times when I desire to be a hermit and only drink tea, read books, and have a cat on my lap – this need for quiet is balanced by a need to get feedback and love from others, and I can’t do that on my own.

Recognizing my need for community, this year I decided to actively foster one instead of waiting for it to come to me.  And it feels excellent to take the reins and decide what kinds of gatherings I want to experience, and who I’d love to have be there.

The simple act of choosing to participate actively has created a sense of agency, responsibility, and pride that wasn’t there before. Now my social life isn’t happening to me, but for me and because of me. I feel a greater sense of belonging, and that is lovely to experience.

Even as I set up opportunities for gatherings, I have to remind myself that the point is to spend time with people I care about, not to create a perfect day. 

Sometimes our desire for perfection can get in the way of all the fun, but if we notice the perfection monster arising, we can gently set it down and decide to just be present, available to enjoy the people we care about, and spend some time doing activities we love.