building community

Create connection by asking questions!

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Community building, Organizational Exercises , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are opportunities to build community all around you. My latest was last weekend when I was out kayaking on the Shenandoah River with a Meet Up group of 50 strangers.

When you are on the path to Organized Zen to joyously get to your best work, having a community around you is a delicious support system. And getting connected can start with a smile and a simple question: Where are you from?

Then maybe follow that with: What brought you here today? Where did you grow up? What do you do for work?

You start to build community from the moment you introduce yourself, ask a question, and listen to the answers without jumping in with your own story. You build on that community when you connect one person to another where you find commonalities. And the circle is complete when even the outliers within a group who struggle to start a conversation, are welcomed in and feel seen and heard.

I love this quote from Ross Gay in his new book The Book of Delights: “The more stuff you love the happier you will be.”

Loving the people around you and finding a connection to them is a great step to finding that happiness. I hope this is helpful and that you take a daring step this week to reach out and bring someone new to your community.

Here are my thoughts from a wonderful kayak day on the Shenandoah River.

What communities do you miss? What communities would you like to be part of?

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Community building, Getting started , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Introvert or extrovert, the pandemic reminded most of us how much we love and miss our fellow humans when we can’t be with them. In this talk, I share ideas for reconnecting, and offer a few ideas for ways to find and connect with communities you’ve only dreamed of.

Here are my thoughts!

Life is fun when you live it with a big heart. I hope you have fun with this one!

If this video is helpful, please like, share, and subscribe on YouTube. You can find all of my talks on YouTube by searching for “Janie Downey.” Thanks for your help spreading good news :).

When Trevor hit a BIG wall in life, he formed a community to help others

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Community building, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Staying focused , , , , , , , ,

Last week, I posted about the important role building community has in getting to your best work. In this post, I’ll tell you about am amazing community my son-in-law Trevor Maxwell built while fighting Stage 4 Colon cancer.

If you’re looking for inspiration today, please click here!

If you know someone who needs the same inspiration, please share. And while you’re on YouTube, please subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already. Subscribing is a super helpful way to help others find the message.

Thank you!

How does being part of a strong community help you get things done?

organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises , , , , , , , , , , , ,

When you’re part of a community, you feel safer taking chances in life because you feel supported. And you know that if something doesn’t work out exactly as you intended, someone is going to be there for you – maybe to help you laugh it off. And maybe to help you get on your feet to try again.

In the activity this week, I’ll walk you through ways to build stronger community ties. And ways to form a community if you are feeling the need for a wider web to catch you!

Here are my thoughts

I hope all is well in your world!

Take What You Have and Build Community

organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Finding your "why", Working with your guides , , ,

“This, too.” ~ Tara Brach

Trevor Maxwell is one of my favorite human beings. He is a kind, connected, enterprising person who holds his family and friends at an extraordinarily high level. When Trevor found out he had stage four colon cancer at age 42, the pain of the illness was nothing to him compared to the pain his diagnosis placed on those he was closest to.

His first reaction when he got the news was to shut down, to remove himself from those he loved most. For a year after his diagnosis, he struggled through multiple surgeries and chemotherapy only to find out that the cancer kept returning. Trevor was in for the fight of his life but he didn’t want to fight. He wanted to crawl into a cave and disappear. Depression, understandably, overwhelmed him. But the bonds he’d formed over the years with family and friends meant that no one was ready for him to disappear. His wife told him simply, “You are still here. And you have to fight.”

Trevor is a professional writer and started writing his story, expressing his fears and his hopes. And he started writing to others on a mix of social media sites. Others found him incredibly helpful as he explained various options for those with similar cancer diagnoses. By reaching out, he gradually became part of a larger cancer community. And he started to connect in person with doctors and others in Colontown, “an online community of over 100 “secret” groups on Facebook for colon cancer patients and survivors.” You can find out more their site at colontown.org. 

Continue reading →