Page 7 - The First 60 Days Magazine

CREATING GREAT

COMMUNITY

CONNECTIONS

A Community, How Do You Create or Enhance Yours?

By Rachael Osorio, Founder, The Bridge to Innovative Solutions

Throughout the many stages of life different needs arise. As adults, we spend our days differently than the
decades before, seeking support in ways that reflect where we are in our life.

How do we survive happily? With nurturing relationships.

Seeking at least one nurturing relationship starts from the moment we are born. We are biologically designed to
thrive as a result of consistent positive, nurturing, trusting relationships in our early moments, days, months, and
years. This is a priority for well-being in life. The need for connection through supportive relationships continues
into adulthood but our focus to make this a priority can change.

We live in a fast-paced, highly digitally-connected world, possibly moving to new cities or countries, different
work worlds, and taking on new roles. Within any change, craving a group that accepts you for who you are,
brings with it the on-going needed feeling of acceptance. Relationships take time to develop and the process of
creating a connection within a community can feel like it takes a lot of effort in the initial stages- because it may.

There is great reward that comes once a foundation is built within a network but how do you start or perhaps
keep your current community connection strong? Extend a gesture, acknowledge individual community
members or the value of the overall community, accept kindnesses and offers of assistance or invitations that are
extended, explore commonalities wherever they lead, express appreciation for the community and nurture it.

We all want to be included and accepted and the beauty of it all thrives with invested consideration, kindness, a
view of togetherness, time and effort. Enjoy all that time spent as a part of your community. Supporting your
basic need for connection is well worth any effort put toward enhancing or creating community.

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