Communities will help you thrive

Finally. After months and months of waiting for the post that would allow me to use the best photo I have seen in while, the day has finally come. There is so much power in this photo. It has that special something about it that makes me want to look at it and then look at it some more. That special something is the connection between people that makes us happy, healthy and thriving. It is collaboration, fun, help, guidance, assistance. It is community.

Look at the above photo. Take a good long hard look. What do you see? Do you see joy and passion for life in it? Do you see a union of kindred spirits? Joining of efforts to achieve greatness? Wild explorations and insatiable thirst for unraveling the mysteries of Universe? A feeling of love and safety? Trust? Support? Balance? I see it all.

Evolutionary concept and a confirmed fact is that individuals had a much lower chance of survival than groups of people did. Long long time ago, you needed the community not only for company but for protection too. If you wanted to eat, you had to hunt your meal down or gather plants and not only were you limited when it came to hunting because there were only rocks and spears for you to use, you were also in a constant danger of becoming food yourself. Animals had to eat too and they had to protect their territory.

Our prehistoric little friend, let's call him Bob, (that's him on the right there, say hy Bob) knew that he was better of surrounded by a group of people who could help him find food and protect him from predators. Ever since then, people were well aware how being in groups (small or large) has its benefits. The expression It takes a village... has more wisdom in itself than we usually give it credit. Being surrounded by people is safer and more practical when it comes to collecting resources needed for our well being. Those resources were once food but have evolved over the years into knowledge. Yes, I said knowledge. That is one of the biggest benefits that we get from communities nowadays.

We have so much technology today that we do not have to fear the things we once did. We are more than capable of growing our own food or buying it without the risk of being eaten by wild animals and since medicine has evolved, we will not die from every snake or spider bite. Technology has enabled us to have more free time. Some use that free time to collect things, and some to collect experiences. Which group do you belong to? What do you collect? Whatever it is, you need some sort of community to help you and if you are one of those that value experiences and knowledge over things, communities are essential and mandatory.

Every person you meet knows something you do not so every human being you will ever encounter is a potential teacher. It all depends on your willingness to listen, interact, and learn. Some will teach you things that will benefit you and some will be an example of what you will need to stay away from. Just by pure observation, you can enrich your knowledge by seeing different things from those that you are used to looking at.

We usually surround ourselves with like-minded people. That has its benefits and is usually a much more pleasant and an easier way to live than to be among those we have nothing in common with but it is also very limitating. A painter can help a painter with painting but a singer can teach him how to sing. Broadening your horizons means that you should have different people with different views in your life, those with various political, religious, and social characteristics and habits. You will always find some things that you share with another human and I assure you that those things will always be in higher numbers than those you disagree on.

If you are a highly spiritual person, go spend some time with scientists. On the other hand, if you have a scientific mind, have a cup of coffee and talk with a spiritual person. If you are right oriented when it comes to politics, share a meal with a left-oriented person. You should go see a movie and enjoy the company of an atheist if you are religious and go for a hike in the woods with a meat eater if you are a vegetarian. You can talk about things that you have different views on and you can talk about those that you have in common. Talking is what matters. Talking with an open mind and more love in our hearts than hatred. Compassion and understanding go a long way. Everyone is your potential teacher, remember?

Steemit is a great place to meet new and different people than yourself. This platform allows you so much more than just writing posts and collecting upvotes. It offers you the opportunity to communicate with people, read their stories and learn from them.

There are so many people you can meet on discord in various groups. From @naturalmedicine that inspired me to write this post with their challenge: How Does Community Help You Thrive? to others like

They all have people who will welcome you to their communities and help you with almost anything you need. They will provide guidance and support when needed and nourish your steemit journey to greatness.

Everybody has their reasons for being here. Some want to meet people, some to earn money and there is the majority of us that enjoy both of those things. Whatever reasons you have, communities will help you reach your goals faster with their support and guidance. They will help you heal if that is what you need or educate you if that is what you are looking for. One thing is for sure, you will most definitely thrive here on steemit.