Support . . . When You Need It
October 25, 2007
IN THIS ISSUE:
- How to Get Support When You Need It
- Free Wellness Pack
- Cheryl and Lena’s New Blog Posts
- Healthy Habits Workbook
How to Get the Support You Need,
When You Need It
There are few things better than a caring community. It’s a great feeling to know that there are others looking out for you, loving you and being willing to go through the tough times with you. I think we can get through just about anything if we know we’ll have the assistance to do so. Technically speaking, we all have community, but do we have enough? Do you have enough?
Don’t underestimate the value of community for your health and well-being. A supportive community is just as important as physical health. Your community is like good health insurance, you don’t know how important it is until you need it - and it isn’t there (or IS there).
As I think about community, I want to share three ideas to help you bolster your community so it’s there for you when you need it…as mine was when I recently lost my dog, Jasmine.
- Community is a two-way street. We have to get beyond the what’s in it for me viewpoint. Sometimes life teaches us to focus on what we can get instead of what we can give. Developing community is like good networking. To be an effective networker, you don’t walk in the room thinking, What can I get from these people? Instead, you go to the event thinking, How can I share and how can I be of service? We simply have to get beyond self-centered thinking in order to get the most out of community. It’s a bit of a paradox when you really think about it.
- Today we have community barriers. In today’s world we’re not forced to develop and engage with community because our basic needs are pretty much met. We have supermarkets and restaurants on every corner so we don’t have to forage or hunt for food. We have high-speed Internet access so we don’t really have to get to know our neighbors. We hire contractors to help us around the house so we don’t have to rely on the support of our community.
- We can learn a few things from the pioneers. Pioneers were independent and rugged, but they KNEW they needed others for help. Today, we’re more independent than ever, but the difference is we don’t think we need the help of others for ANYTHING. All too often we think, I can do it myself, it takes too long to ask/get someone to help me.
How do you know if you have community?
Take this simple test: The last time you had an upset in your life - a death in the family, the loss of a job or just a rough patch in the road - was your community there for you? Did they check in with you? Offer support? Send a sympathetic greeting card? Give you a hug? If so, congratulations! You’ve got community! Keep up the good work.
If your community is slipping, use some of the tips below to get back on track:
- Know that it doesn’t take forever. We’ve cut way back on what we’re willing to do to foster community. Except for some people who will help you with your garage sale in the pouring rain, bring a meal for your potluck dinner or host a support group in their home, people often don’t want to take the time to build community - they think it’s time consuming and they’re too busy. But, it’s really not that difficult or time consuming. You can:
- Listen to someone tell their story. Taking time to listen is immensely helpful.
- If you usually say no, consider saying yes, just this one time for starters.
- Do what you enjoy and invite others to join you. Going bird watching or skeet shooting? Ask someone to tag along.
- Genuinely give of yourself to others when you can, as often as you can. There is much truth to the adage, give to get. So, the next time someone asks you to help, before you give the knee-jerk, No reply, think about it a bit. Maybe you can’t help in exactly the way they’re asking, but you might be able to offer assistance in some other way that might be of support.
- Ask for help. The next time you need support, have the courage to ask. The pioneers pulled together to get things done as a unit and always celebrated their collective wins as a unit. Ask for help to clean the garage, sort through those important papers, make arrangements for a family member’s funeral….whatever. Asking for help gives your community a chance to give.
- Dive right in. You don’t have to always wait for someone to ask for help. If you see a need, pitch in. You’ll build goodwill, help take a load off someone’s shoulders - even if only momentarily - and you’ll benefit from the feeling of having helped someone in their time of need.
Do you regularly make deposits into your community bank account? If so, comment below and tell us how. If not, can you think of one or two pleasurable things you can do reinforce or strengthen your community?
P.S. I’ve set up a memorial post for my beloved dog, Jasmine. If you want to read some of the outpouring of love and support that Jasmine and I received, click here
To your healthy, happy life! 
Get the Healthy, Happy Living Newsletter and Wellness Pack
Cheryl’s and Lena’s new posts:
En-Genius - 4th Annual Green Gift Guide
Keeping Balance in Perspective
Want to take the 21-Day Healthy Habits Challenge?
This 21-Day challenge will help you do these 5 things:
- Get clear on the lifestyle habit you want to put in place.
- Overcome inertia and get started reaching your goal.
- Guide you through small, consistent steps so you can build on your success and achieve your goal more easily.
- Improve your confidence to take action and succeed.
- Teach you new lifestyle behavior skills that you can use again and again.
5 more things it will help you do
Want to Use this Article for Your Newsletter or Web Site?
You may publish this article or others in the archive free of charge in your e-zine, web site, e-book or print publication as long as the copyright notice and the author information below are included without change:
Cheryl Miller is a wellness expert and life coach. She specializes in helping people take action to live a healthy, happy life . . . in this lifetime. Visit cherylmillerville.com and get the Healthy, Happy Living monthly newsletter and Wellness Pack. Signup and sample issue here: http://cherylmillerville.com/newsletter © 2007 cherylmillerville.com. All rights reserved.
Let us know where you have published one of Cheryl’s articles by sending an email to us with a link to your publication.
Cheryl Miller's 21-Day No Junk Food Challenge should be required reading for every household in America. I've passed it on to all of my clients, friends, and family.
October 25th, 2007
I first learned about community from Cheryl.
And, when I first learned about it boy was I lacking.
Sure, I had friends but they were of the “fair weather” sort.
And, then I had a ‘friend’ who TOTALLY bailed on me in the worst possible way - betrayal.
It was then that I learned that I had to be the friend I wanted to have. Friendship and community really is a two-way street.
So, now I dig my well before I need water and I am sure to make droplets of deposits before I need buckets of withdrawl.