The Power of Authentic Connection

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a women’s leadership retreat put on by Nameless Collaborative. The whole goal of the Magnitude retreat was to bring together thirty women in leadership in ministry or business (business can absolutely be a form of ministry) and simply pour into them. Incredible words of wisdom were shared throughout the weekend from women who are doing massive things around the world! As I got to talking to a number of the women, a common thread began to appear. All of these women had people in their lives, but some were still looking for true, authentic community!

2019 Magnitude retreat by nameless collaborative

Why do I share this with you? Many people would look into these boss babes’ lives, see all of the things that they are doing and think that surely these women have a tribe of like-minded women surrounding them, but that’s not always the case! As we’ve all heard “it can be lonely at the top”, but I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way and we were never created to thrive in that manner!

Authentic community impacts literally every aspect of life, but today I wanted to focus on how community impacts our health. Here are four ways that community plays a role in our overall well-being:

1) Support. Having a group of people whom we can share joys and sorrows with is extremely beneficial for our emotional well-being! Sometimes the simple act of sharing our thoughts and feelings can help us to process our emotions rather than bottling them up inside.

2) Influence. We become like the five people we spend the most time with! When we surround ourselves with people who are working to become better versions of themselves, it is a natural encouragement for us to do the same! Trying to be more active or make better health decisions? You’re way more likely to succeed if the people around you have a similar mindset.

3) Accountability. When we walk alongside others through the messiness of life, it gives us the ability to hold each other accountable. If someone else knows our goals or commitments, we are waaaay more likely to follow through on those things! In addition to that, it creates an environment for transparency where we can speak truth into one another’s lives if our observations of one another do not line up with what we know to be true of each other.

4) Knowledge. It is impossible to know all things about all things, and in addition to that there are differing opinions on almost every health topic. But when a community of people comes together, they also bring with them their knowledge and experience. This can be a powerful tool where people can use their strengths and know-how to help one another make better health decisions!

Ok that all sounds great in theory, but how does one find healthy community? The options are practically limitless, but here are a few suggestions from my personal experience.

1) Pray about it. God hears your desires and knows the ideal people to bring into your life, let Him!

2) Go do the healthy activities you love and interact with others who are there! Most likely they’re looking for community as well. (Yoga, Barre, Pilates, CrossFit, Camp Gladiator, Peloton, your local gym, cooking classes, church, bible study, conferences, and retreats are some activities off the top of my head.)

3) Keep showing up! As with all good things, developing community takes time and consistency.

Thanks to the Nameless Collaborative team, the thirty women who showed up to the Magnitude Retreat now have an opportunity to create new authentic community and/or grow the tribe we currently have. My encouragement for anyone reading this would be to do the same, show up and seek out people who are pursuing healthier versions of themselves and dive in! Please let us, at Renew & Restore Wellness, know if there is anything we can do to improve your health or that of your community!