Creating Community Differently
Sheri here –
Creating Community is not easy for social, community minded individuals who are being told to observe “Social Distance” and increasingly, just stay home.
I’ve been staying quiet the last couple of weeks, watching events unfold and trying to make sense of what’s going on with the coronavirus and the ripple effects. Trying to figure out how to help myself, my family, my clients and those around me in my communities to weather this storm.
For social creatures to be “social distanced” is difficult – so now what. How do we manage? How do we create community differently? We are certainly more fortunate than at any time in the past because of the tools we have available: the internet, smart phones and online apps. We can be in touch more easily.
Creating Community
The other day, I started using one of my favorite business communication tools – Zoom meetings – to bring a group of friends together, to reunite our community. Since we couldn’t meet for a regular dinner together, we met online. It certainly provided comfort to all of us.
Yesterday, we paid an online visit to our grandkids and even played a game of Candyland with my son-in-law, Tyler, our proxy moving our token around the board. A bit of normalcy in a world of social distancing.
This morning my Toastmaster’s Club met online. It was a joy to see the smiling faces of friends.I was using a tool in a new way.
Self-Care
In today’s circumstances with continuous updates, how do we minimize the fear and look for the positive. Ok, maybe that is a Pollyanna approach, but there is still so much that we can do.
The first thing is to take care of ourselves. Put your oxygen mask on first. Then we are available to see to the needs of others around us.
Selfcare includes the connection with your spiritual guide, your God. Maybe some meditation and prayer, to find that calmer spot within. Certainly sleep, exercise and nourishment are also high on the selfcare list.
Be in Communication
Be in communication with loved ones, find out how they are and let them know you are thinking of them. Maybe, you can extend a helping hand to those who need an errand run and cannot do it themselves. Speaking of communication, I took a recent poll in my Facebook Group“Money Talks with Sheri” about ways of adapting to life with social distancing. The winner of the poll was for this tribe to have a community Zoom meet-up to help ease the social distancing anxiety.
If you haven’t joined the Facebook Group yet, just click this link and join us in the group and create a community experience with us.
We had a community get together online within the group using Zoom. It was quite fun!
Room for New Opportunities
While many of us can work online and can continue to show up for our work-related commitments, it may still leave us with time on our hands.
Maybe now is the time to do some of the things that you have been putting off. Like doing some decluttering or finishing up old projects.
Make room for new opportunities.
Be in communication with people you haven’t talked with in a while.
Even though you may be staying home, you don’t need to isolate.
While we may get hooked into thinking that everything around us is bleak, if you look carefully, you may find a fertile ground for a new idea or doing something in a new way. The opportunities are there for those who can change their thinking and see old things in a new way or new things completely.
Look carefully, you never know what you might see!
Until the next time.
Ciao and hugs,
Sheri
P.S. If you need a quick shot of positive, a breath of fresh air, check out our Business Facebook page or Instagram.
