I met a man who lives in Tennessee
He was headin’ for, Pennsylvania, and some homemade pumpkin pie
From Pennsylvania, folks are travelin’ down to Dixie’s sunny shore
From Atlantic to Pacific, gee, the traffic is terrific.
And…you know the rest.
The holidays are about connection, just like the mission of this very website. So how can we make more connections this time of year and into the next?
2015 has been a year of great changes for everyone at Women for Living in Community. Over the course of 2016 I’ll be sure to fill everyone in on all the important details. For now, we want to share with you ways to create and build connections with those around you:
- Volunteer in your community. Helping others has been proven to make you feel better about yourself. When you give back to others you increase your own sense of self-worth and satisfaction. It is also a great way to meet like-hearted people in your community.
- Reach out to an old friend. Facebook has changed the way we connect to our friends, family, and even casual acquaintances online. Facebook can, and does, facilitate in person connections as well as long as you use it right. Is there someone from your past you’ve been thinking about? Maybe it is time to look them up and reconnect.
- Join a social group. Of course, while online connections can help encourage face-to-face interaction, nothing beats getting together in real life. And what’s a better way to bond than over a shared interest? Look at community websites or your local newspaper to see what events are happening near you.
- Create a meet-up group. What happens when you don’t see a social group that sounds like a good time for you? Why not create one. MeetUp.com offers an online forum for you to start a group in your area around a particular theme. Do you like cooking? Visiting museums? Knitting? Or, why not start a meet up to discuss living in community?
- Throw a party. Finally, have some fun with it. Throw a party. You don’t even need a holiday as an excuse, but it’s a pretty good one. Invite your friends, family, and neighbors. You can host it entirely or you call a potluck, whatever sounds like more fun for you and everyone who joins in on the fun. Gathering together just for the sake of being social is a foundational element in developing relationships that can be built into a community over time.
What can you do this holiday season to get yourself moving in the right direction for making connections and creating community in your life?
