The Power of Community
Prevention, a publication for those of us trying to improve our health habits, recently posted an article about people who struggle with food addictions. Those who work a program called FA find various ways to keep their eating under control, including disciplined planning and precise measurement. But the key to recovery from a food addiction, those interviewed for the article asserted, is the help they find from others on the same journey: "It's that sense of community, the daily clutch of humans joining together to fret and laugh and plan their way through the daily struggle, that really sets them free." (February 2016 issue, p. 143)
Fret, Laugh and Plan
What a wonderful image of community these food warriors have expressed. Fretting, laughing and planning together are activities that all of us can experience in our community of choice. Once we make an active decision not to go it alone, we engage in communal worry rather than the debilitating isolation of individual anguish. Sharing communal amusement in the midst of our foibles and failures is a better pathway to joy than a private joke. And there is nothing like a good planning session to bring out the best and worst of us -- along with a camaraderie that transcends the momentary conflict.
Reflection Questions
What communities are you a part of? What is your definition of community?
How can you add forums within your communities of choice that provide opportunities to fret, laugh and plan together?
What are the things that you do communally with your "besties" that have made a difference in your ability to cope and thrive?
RSS Feed