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Finding Community
In episode 76 of Working Towards Our Purpose, we talk about what community looks like, why it matters, and how you can find it. Especially if you’re more on the introverted side like me.
Friends vs. Community
When I look back, I realized I’d always had friends, but community is something different. I’m grateful for all my friends, but I haven’t always felt part of a community. To me community is different than the friends you have. It’s about connecting with like-minded people, sharing a love from something, and feeling like you belong to something. It’s a space that feels non-judgmental and safe enough for you to be yourself.
The Importance of Community
Community has played a huge role in my growth and in chasing my goals. It’s supportive, but also challenging, and that’s exactly what allows us grow. Being in community exposes you to new ideas, gives you accountability, and a chance to be inspired by others. Whether it’s entrepreneurship, skateboarding, or being creative, there’s a group out there for whatever you are passionate about.
Three Types of Community I’ve Experienced
Since leaving my corporate 9-5 job, I’ve found real community in three different places:
A coworking space: A place to get some work done also held weekly networking events for entrepreneurs. This small group of people helped me learn and be inspired in the tough early days of entrepreneurship.
The farmers market: What started as a job grew into a place I loved to go to each week. This space was full of small business owners and genuinely kind people which gave me friendships and a sense of belonging.
Open mic music nights: This is the newest emerging community for me. A place full of creative people expressing themselves and supporting each other.
How to Find Community
If you don’t feel like you have community, here are three ways that have helped me find community in the past:
Tag Along with a Friend: Find someone already going to these types of events and tag along with them.
Seek Out Special Spaces: Coffee shops, breweries, or any spot with a community event calendar are great places to start. There are a lot of local business out there that offer space to host community events.
Go Online: Use tools like Eventbrite or Meetup to search for events that match your interests. Then go meet people in real life!
In-Person vs. Online Connection
You can find community online, but for me, in-person connections are irreplaceable. There’s just something about physically being in the same room with people that makes you feel a bigger sense of connection that can’t be found online. Modern life makes it easy to forget that we need genuine human connection, but it’s not as far away as we might think. There’s always people out there to connect over the things we’re passionate about. Finding community isn’t just for extroverts, it’s there for all of us.
Let me know in the comments, where do you find community?
This article was drafted with the help of AI (castmagic: podcast to text) but then reviewed and edited by a human being.