2267: [Part 1] The Power of Community: How it Has Changed My Life by Danae Smith on Social Networks

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[00:00:19] Get the best out of yourself! With the new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra with Galaxy AI! Let's go! This is Optimal Relationships Daily, The Power of Community, How It Has Changed My Life, Part 1 by Danae Smith of ThisWonderousLife.com

[00:00:37] Hello everybody and welcome to the show that is all about improving your relationships. I'm Greg Audino, your host and narrator here on ORD. And with me today is a post from Danae Smith of This Wonderous Life,

[00:00:50] whose work we love but we really haven't shared in far too long. So let's check out this longer post, which I will split between today's and tomorrow's episodes, about The Power of Community as we optimize your life. The Power of Community, How It Has Changed My Life, Part 1

[00:01:10] by Danae Smith of ThisWonderousLife.com Community has always been a stretching space for me. Growing up one could say I was a social butterfly. I always ran in packs of three or more. I always had friends. Making friends was never a challenging thing for me.

[00:01:27] And yes, there were times I faced rejection. I remember ever so clearly one day at summer camp, I must have been like 11 or 12, I went to talk to a girl, introduced myself and she completely ignored me. Did it sting? Totally!

[00:01:41] But I don't know, I turned around and talked to someone else. That's how it kind of always was for me. Sometimes people reached out to me, other times I just put myself out there.

[00:01:51] It wasn't until my early 20s that I really learned the difference between a bunch of friends and a community. I mean, anyone can have a huge list of friends, right? According to Facebook we all have like over a thousand friends. But is that community?

[00:02:07] For me, community goes beyond the surface. It isn't superficial, it's on purpose. I learned this for real in 2012. Many know, if you didn't here's a fun fact about me. Shortly after graduating college, I took a huge risk and moved across the country.

[00:02:23] Literally, straight to California I went, which if you look at a map is exactly across the country from sweet old Maryland. I left everything and every one I knew for an adventure on the West Coast that would change me forever.

[00:02:36] I remember so distinctly heading there with my dad. It was our first night and we were in our hotel room and it hit me. The magnitude of what I had chosen to do.

[00:02:46] I'd given up being actively a part of life unfolding in the DMV and it honestly scared me. And FOMO, fear of missing out, started resonating. Fast forward and over nine months, I was immersed into a group of people who became my community and ultimately like family.

[00:03:03] For the first time, I lived out what pursuing and having community looked like. When I decided to return back to the East Coast after two years there, I was honestly nervous.

[00:03:14] I'd experienced genuine community for the first time with the hearts I'd connected with and these hearts weren't physically going with me. I'll be honest, the first year being back was rough. I remember being a swirl of emotions from like August to November 2014.

[00:03:30] It came in waves, missing the community I'd built in California. There was a vulnerability and authenticity to it that I feared I'd never experience again. But if there's one thing I know, God's really faithful and sees us even when we can't.

[00:03:46] When 2015 hit, it became the year of heart connections that I needed more than words can express and that has been a beautiful journey. Whew! Okay, that was a massive backstory. I guess I shared all that to lead to this point.

[00:04:02] I want to let you know how community changed my life. So here it goes. Community didn't just say, it's safe to be yourself. It showed me that it was safe to be myself. It's simple, right?

[00:04:16] It really is, but I didn't realize how much being me had been suppressed until I was part of a community that pulled it out. In those first months of living in California, I found so much safety in showing up as me.

[00:04:30] I've been told that I'm intense and I'll admit I can be. I'm dramatic by default. Not so much that I have drama versus just that I'm insanely animated. I can be loud at all the wrong times, pretty sure I don't know how to whisper.

[00:04:44] And I basically get excited about anything and everything. In all honesty, I can understand how that can be a lot to take in for some.

[00:04:52] And I grew up in a space that really didn't know how to handle that or rather dealt with it the best they knew how. And that often left me feeling not seen and not allowed to fully be myself. I'd spent years downplaying or overemphasizing parts of me.

[00:05:07] And for the first time, when I encountered community back in 2012, I was safe to be all of me. I didn't have to curtail or hide myself. I had full permission to be me. Me as me was celebrated and I had never known that before.

[00:05:24] So understandably returning to a familiar place, there was some fear. Fear that being back would undo everything I'd experienced and encountered, which just isn't true. Surprisingly when I returned, I felt more me than ever.

[00:05:40] And instead of letting habits of the past dictate how I showed up, I let me be me and decided that was enough. Don't get me wrong, I have my days where I see the true me and the old me going head to head.

[00:05:53] In moments like that, I do my best to lean into what's true and let that ring louder than any other voice. To be continued... You just listened to part one of the post titled,

[00:06:07] The Power of Community, How It Has Changed My Life by Denay Smith of ThisWonderousLife.com And thanks a lot to Denay for what has started off as a wonderful article. Certainly a lot more to get through tomorrow when we finish the post.

[00:06:22] But what I love from this first part is the idea of how community showed her she could be herself as opposed to just telling her. There's a great distinction there and one that we might look for ourselves. See, this way there's action and inspiration tied to it.

[00:06:39] There's an example being set and it challenges us to make a healthy change. You might feel the waters are muddied between friend groups and communities, but I encourage you to reflect on who you've been around that inspires you

[00:06:52] to really make a distinct change in your life, or at least walk the walk of the person you'd like to be. This could help you distinguish your friends from your communities and therefore who might really be pushing you to be your best self.

[00:07:04] Those are important people to identify and important people to keep around. But like I said, there's more to come tomorrow so let's leave it there for today. I hope to see you back here for part two tomorrow where I will finish up this post

[00:07:15] and where your optimal life awaits.