The joy of the holidays is in many ways about community. Some decry the crowds but in truth, that ballet of busy people, lights and decorations is part of the joy of the season.
The earliest human communities would have likely been groups of nomadic people, who no doubt found that cooperating and collaborating made life easier and more successful for everyone. Once we learned to grow food and domesticate animals, it wasn’t long before the beginnings of civilization emerged. From there, people began to specialize according to their talents and affinities.
Poetically, one benefit of connection to the larger community is that it helps you discover yourself as an individual. Your connection with the whole reminds you of who you are, and helps you connect with your deepest purpose and what you’re here to do. The large group of people that is the modern city state, and at this point the interconnected globe, affords you the opportunity to develop skills that fit and fulfill you, and allows you to provide a specific service.
Community also has tremendous value for health in modern life. Experts across the board report that isolation is bad for mental and physical health. Our connection with a larger group helps us recover from stress and work out anxiety, and tends to encourage physical activity and healthy lifestyle. Most of all, it can help us feel valued, with a sense of belonging. This is profoundly beneficial to health and well-being. Relationships with colleagues at work, with friends, and of course with family, all comprise an exquisite network of human connection, without which we would not survive.
Lastly on this topic we want to thank you, because our community of clients, therapists, friends and supporters means the world to us, and the Holiday season is a beautiful time to celebrate it.
Thank you for tuning in this month, happiest of holiday wishes, and we do hope you will follow us on social media!
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