Be the ocean: On building strong, meaningful community
“You’re not a wave. You’re part of the ocean.” — Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
I am you. You are me. We are one. There’s something comforting about this. When we are not just one individual but rather part of a whole, we don’t feel so small, so incapable, so alone. As one, we feel strong, confident, whole, supported.
And while every individual may not fully understand or accept this concept, those of us who do must honor it. We must gather. We must embrace it and lift up the idea to connect with others who share in this belief. Through the lens of love. Through our light. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever. In the face of conflict, violence and fear, we choose to be the light. We choose to see every person as us. We choose love for all. And we choose to live and act in a way that sends a positive ripple effect out into the Universe.
Over the years, Phil and I have felt the power of a community that shares in this belief and that encourages and supports us to be our truest, best selves as part of the whole. We’ve identified the people in our lives who help us to feel like we’re part of the ocean. Like we’re strong. Confident. Capable. Loved. And we actively make efforts to spend more time with them.
We believe that the most powerful relationships are built because of intentional time spent together. We do things with our community. We try to experience life with them, engage them in depthy dialogue, share vulnerably and encourage them to be their best selves. We choose to be the “Hell Yes!” friends (reference from Radha Agrawal’s book Belong), the ones who are avid supporters of our friends’ endeavors. And we receive all of the same in return from these people.
What started as a small community is actively growing. We’re finding more and more people who choose to see life and each other through the same lens. We’re all very different living different lives. But at our core, we all have similar human values.
We lead with love.
We connect authentically.
We prioritize wellness.
We design intentional lives.
We think with possibility first.
With growing abundance, we know that we’re part of the ocean as opposed to individual waves. We’re more confident. We’re stronger. We’re sturdier. We have more faith. We’re more trusting. We certainly have far less suffering. And we have endless amounts of love. We feel that sense of belonging.
We’re inspired by our community daily. They’re spreading love to their communities, nurturing conscious families and doing meaningful, influential work. They strengthen themselves so that they may strengthen those around them. This community consistently reminds us how to honor our best selves while living lives that matter.
Our community is growing. As we expand, so do our friendships. We keep actively reaching out to people who live through light, through love…people who believe in the ocean. And we are constantly humbled by the strength, the goodness and the wisdom of those we meet.
As we travel the world, our intention is to meet more souls who share similar beliefs and values. We intend to learn from those we meet and share our love and light as widely as possible. We’re excited to meet others who are harnessing their authentic power to create the most meaningful impact in the world around them.
The ask we have for our current community — who should we meet? Who else believes in the ocean that we haven’t connected with yet?
And for you — who do you want to connect with? Who is your community?
If you’re just getting started, here’s my advice:
Build a community that:
- Actively encourages and inspires you to be your best self
- Makes you feel like you belong as the truest version of yourself
And then be that for them in return.
Responses