Whether in a social, business, ecological, or spiritual sense, we all need authentic community. Authentic community supports us in meeting our authentic needs, is a key to unlocking potential, enhances cooperation and teamwork, nourishes our spirit, opens our heart, builds trust and respect, creates safety, increases our understanding of ourselves and others, and furthers our self-development and personal growth as we are challenged to overcome the limitations of our narrow ego-self. It is inclusive. And most importantly, it is necessary for authentic living.
When we embody our true self with mindfulness and a commitment to authentic self-development, we honour our essential nature, which is connectedness. Through a lack of mindfulness and clarity, and a fragmented view of life and holistic processes, we have created a narrow, abstracted identity that I call the immature ego. Living as a narrow, separate, and disconnected self inevitably creates inefficiency, conflict, frustration, and suffering in our lives as we lose support and vital energy from the whole, do not live authentically, and struggle with the social, economic, ecological, emotional, and spiritual costs of being a ‘separate’ and impoverished self.
Living and working in an authentic community, in a mindful way, eventually brings out our essential interconnectedness, and honours our true self, allowing us to thrive with greater health, wellbeing, and fulfilment. It is a necessary step in our self-development and self-realisation, as we become more ourselves, and embrace our connections with the rest of life. It allows us to open up and fulfil our potential. Ironically, while those who act selfishly try to benefit themselves at the expense of others, the bigger picture shows that those who live and work in an authentic community, cooperating as a self-organised whole, benefit themselves by benefiting the whole.
In the absence of authentic community, our reliance on ill-suited institutions to prop us upâwhether they be institutions of the State or institutions of managementâkeeps us in a narrow state of fulfilment and seeming comfort. Like a child depending too much on its parents, we do not progress very far in our self-development, for we abdicate many of our responsibilities onto these institutions that would normally be carried out by us collectively as a communityâand in truth they will never do a good enough job because such institutions are not designed to meet the full authentic needs of our true self. This is why the challenge of community experience reflects back to us our need for personal growth when we first attempt to be part of an authentic community.
As well as the issue of personal growth, there are also the glaring issues of efficiency and sustainability that exist when we do not live as an authentic community. The lack of cooperation and the energy spent on struggle, conflict, and the duplication of effort and resourcesâas well as the energy spent on centralised State infrastructures to prop up societyâare wasteful, draining, and increase our ecological footprint. Where community is weak, the local economy is also weakâmost notably because its wealth can be drained from it in the absence of a local community currency.
Authentic Community Building
Authentic community can exist between friends, contacts, and neighbours, and also within organisations and groups, including businesses and schools. Have a go and get one started. There are some key principles to observe when building an authentic intentional community:
- Establish a community identity that is revealed by and defined by shared needs and values.
- Establish a safe space by agreeing as a whole to some groundrules, such as respect for all.
- Establish an agreement between community members to be present and engaged, to communicate effectively, and to support each other and the community as a whole in the meeting of community needs and the upholding of community values.
- Limit the size of the community to a size that is sustainable and that enables people to interact and know each other as a wholeâfor example, Dunbar’s Number suggests no more than 150 people, although the exact number will depend on circumstances.
- Commit as an individual to authenticity, personal growth, and mindfulness, and to embodying your true self.
- Commit as an individual to the growth of the community through the group process (the way you work together).
- Make all major community decisions by consensusâthis becomes possible with personal growth, mindfulness, and a commitment to the group process.
- Review community agreements periodically so that the community can know how it is doing and in what ways it may need to develop.
A circular rather than a linear layout for community meetings maximises the potential for face-to-face interactions and therefore for community engagement and the honouring of the whole. This is why gathering in a circle has been the natural expression of community from the beginning of time. Within the centre of the circle there is the reminder of our own inner centre and of our common ground of being.
For further information on starting an authentic community, read my companion posts How You Can Start an Authentic Community and Spiritual Community.
Final Thoughts
Authentic community building is not always easy because we are not used to it and our skills for authentic living and mindful living have usually been stunted and need developing. However, the rewards to our personal growth and wellbeing to our community and the wider reaches of life far outweigh any challenges. Authentic communities are sustainable communities. When community disappears, our authenticity and health disappearâfor our connection with life is no longer honoured. Let’s remember who we really are and rebuild the links that rebuild our wellbeing.
Thatâs all for now! Let me know if you have any questionsâI would love to hear about your experiences of building community.
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Related Posts
How You Can Start an Authentic Community
Spiritual Community
