Learning To Live Over Exist
Communities provide the stones that pave the road to progress. It is the people who encourage you to keep going. The people who pull you up when you get stuck. The people who teach you things you do not know how to do. The people who help you find the clarity you did not know you were lacking. Community provides the feedback necessary to make informed decisions. It exposes you to resources you were not able to find on your own. Community cares about each person as much as they care about the process to success. That matters more than we admit.
People gravitate to others for different reasons. Some share commonalities. Others recognize benefits one has to offer. Whatever the reason, the relationship can bloom or wither depending on how it is nourished. The road still collects the stones to keep the path as the focal point.
In 2016 I found myself at a crossroads that led to a season of starting over. This presented one problem with multiple parts. What does starting over mean? How do I figure out what to do next and how do I process it all without losing my sanity? Articles and social media threads on tribes and community pages starting popping up all over the place and I was paying attention. I was introduced to Alisha Robertson through JaQuette Gilbert, one of my Twitter connections. At the time, she was talking about a book she was working on titled Living Over Existing. Alisha posed the question, what does living over existing mean to you? Answering that question took a while but it helped me realize that I was in the right position to start over by creating the life I wanted and I had nothing to lose by moving forward. The book turned into a group on Facebook that has since grown into the Living Over Existing Collective with its own site on the Mighty Networks platform.
Since joining the community, I have grown in skills, accomplished multiple goals and gained valuable resources and been lifted up by women building the lives of their dreams. Reading the book Living Over Existing helped me figure out what I wanted to do next. Being a member of the LOE Collective helped me learn how to get it done. Admittedly, I still have issues with depending on social media for anything other than news and entertainment. However, there is something to be said for the support, knowledge sharing and accountability this community offers.
There are many online communities available, each with its own mission and purpose. If a group of like minded people with the same goals and interests is what you need, there is a community in cyberworld with your name on it. Some find community in church, social service organizations and career networks. Whether your community is in cyberworld or a nearby physical locale, appreciate it for all that it is and the potential it offers. After all, as each member grows, so does the value of the community. Thank you to all the people who create these spaces for people to become the best versions of themselves.
