The Importance of Community in 2021
How are you doing today?
Such a simple question, yet one that is often so hard for us to ask each other. As humans, we all have a deep desire to be seen and heard, and we need a sense of belonging. We want to grow, heal, experience, laugh, play and wake up each day with optimism and hope.
What we’ve learned is that community offers all of this and more.
You may have heard the saying, “it’s better to give than to receive”. When you show up for your community, you in turn show up for yourself. Supporting those you share space with, whether it be where you live or where you work, in return support you.
Moving into a shared living or working space where no one knows you, your friends, family or colleagues, means that you can really open up without any judgement. Just like a bartender, barber or hairstylist, we often tend to overshare in a chair with someone who is impartial and objective to your choices, as long as there is a mutual respect. Another benefit of living and or working in community.
Globally, mental health is on the brink of cracking in ways we’ve never seen. Isolation is one of the biggest punishments enforced on humans. Solitary confinement? No, thank you! But that is what Covid-19 and the pandemic has been asking of us.
So how do we encourage a different and more sustainable way of living? It comes back to really understanding what makes us happy. Going back to basics. There is always the possibility of making new choices in the search for fulfilment. We can ask ourselves these types of questions;
What are some things you’ve always thought about doing that you haven’t tried or spent time on?
What communities and industries are doing what you want to be doing? Are you supporting these people?
Are you showing up for the people, places and things you care about?
Community offers all this and more.
We are still living in the “upside down” with no clear answers in sight. How we live, where we live and who we live with or spend our time with matters more than it ever has.
As a company, we launched our second co-living location in Green Point at the end of 2020 and the shared experiences between our new community of members has been priceless. Within the first two weeks of 2021, they have climbed Table Mountain, hosted their first community meeting, hosted new member braais and shared a group mindfulness session on our Neighbourgood Cape Quarter rooftop, to name just a few. These simple experiences have lit up our newest shared living community and are a reflection of how we hope to see all future Neighbourgood locations thrive.
We hope you’ll join our community and experience the support of living or working in the Neighbourgood.
