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Relationship does not necessarily mean community. This last weekend I was listening to someone talk about bumping into a former colleague. They lamented how, over the years, their efforts to maintain communication and friendship had felt one-sided. I listened as they recounted the conversation from their chance meeting then chimed in when they decided to put the blame for the disconnect on themselves. My words surprised even me: “Maybe you are not part of their community.” I spent much of the week reflecting on that comment and trying to make sense of this idea of community. I've come to the realization that it is important to know where one stands in the lives of others and to act accordingly. It is possible to know someone, by choice or kinship, but have no mutual benefit arise from that connection. In such instances, there is little drive from one or both parties to seek the other out. However, community is different. It goes beyond mere connection by recognizing that - for me to thrive in this space we jointly occupy, I must actively engage with you and you with me. A symbiotic relationship emerges in which both parties thrive through communication and shared or reciprocated value. In community, relationships are always bidirectional and mutually beneficial. Community takes time and effort from both parties to build and maintain. Over the last three years, I have been intentional about cultivating networks around my interests and work. Reflecting on the nature of these networks, I realize that my emphasis has been on community building. I may not have been able to articulate it at the time, but I was searching for reciprocal relationships with like-minded people - individuals with whom I could grow while also contributing to their development. While knowing someone serves as the first step toward community, it’s essential to recognize that not all relationships lead to a sense of community. So as these ideas continue to clarify, I am more confident and comfortable with the choices I’ve made and will likely continue to make into the future. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on community. What has your experience been in building meaningful connections? #WeAreAwec #CommunityBuilder #CommunitySeeker #Community #BuildingMeaningfulConnections #ReciprocalRelationships #IntentionalNetworkBuilding #PersonalGrowthThroughCommunity #PersonalGrowth Image “Designed by Freepik" www.freepik.com
It's amazing how I connect with this post. As a woman who likes to do things alone and even shut out the world sometimes, I find community building hard to do but a necessary tool for this phase of my life. Lately, I've realized that it is not as hard as if you find people with mutual interest. Thanks for the post Dr Priscah.
Dr Priscah Mufunde this post hits very close to home. The insights you've shared will definitely help me as I re-look my community and what that means to me. I have been part of a 'tribe', and realize that when I went into the relationship wanting to give more than to receive, I ended up benefiting most. Thank you for this post!
Dr Priscah Mufunde This is so insightful - relationship does not mean community! Different relationships serve different purposes and we need to accept that some of these relationships will not provide the community we need. The problem is when we mis categorise a relationship that is not community as community and expect it to provide the benefits of community.
Thank you Dr. Priscah. In twenty first century, being in community gives us collective advantage to learn now engaging within the community gives more advantage to connect and even derive more value. Completely agree. We really go far together. Thanks for this post
Powerful message. Its definitely got me thinking about my community.
This is a great post. and it I identify with what you are saying.
Thanks for sharing
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2moI think to some extent community is established only where you have shared values and interests. I agree its a reciprocal mutually beneficial relationship. I also think this morphs as you change. I have accepted that my community will continue to change as I change. My community on my 30s has definitely changed on my 40s and will change again on my 50s.