I have said time and time again how the real value in life lies in the experiences we have and the positive relationships we build. But which relationships am I talking about? All of them. Some of the relationships we may not even realize we have, also have a tremendous impact on our lives. These relationships likely include:
- neighbors
- acquaintances
- community
- strangers
- humanity
Of all five of these relationships, community is the most important. Why? Because Community encompasses all the other four.
I can’t stress enough the personal rewards that come with being active in our community; being community “oriented.” Whether its charitable events, fun events, or celebratory events, when we are participating in community events, we are cleansing our soul, and establishing/improving our relationships within our community. This means all the people in our community: friends, acquaintances, and even strangers alike. And in the end, this rolls up to a good relationship with humanity as a whole.
When we participate in making the community a better place, others in the community notice and remember. The more we make our faces seen by those with influence in our community, the more we ourselves have influence too. These are subtleties that are the basis for our relationship with our community.
Being active in the community gives one a sense of belonging, a sense of pride in ones home town. And that feeling is supported by the people we live with within the community. It is truly a wonderful feeling.
With that being said, I urge everyone to get involved in their community in some way, shape, or form. Unsure how to start? Look for local events in the paper. Events such as fares, walks, fundraisers, and festivals. Most communities have a United Way chapter to reach out to. United Way literally has dozens of community events per year. They also have the names and connections of many other charitable and “community enrichment” groups locally one may be interested in.
Reach out, and be part of the community, don’t just live in it.
I have said time and again that that life is all about relationships and experiences. With that in mind, there is no better way to foster both of these things than to have healthy and celebratory traditions. Yearly, monthly, weekly, or even daily habits we have within our groups (families most likely) that everyone takes part in and shares their ideas, experiences, and/or joy.
Whether we are minimalists or not, I think we can all appreciate the value of a good pair of jeans. Durable, comfortable, appropriate for almost all weather conditions (the non-extreme ones), and strangely enough, always fashionable. If we look around I think we will find that jeans are at the very foundation of middle class wardrobe; they are our first “go to” when we are putting together our everyday outfit and don’t want to think about what we are going to wear. Jeans are such a practical and efficient choice for bottoms, that outside of the professional environment, they are my only choice for bottoms. Outside of my professional wardrobe, my entire selection of bottoms is just a short stack of denim; 7 pairs of jeans and 3 pairs of jean shorts. Let’s hit the benefits one at a time.