Written by Edgar Ulloa
Since the beginning of human history, we have banded together to take on life’s toughest challenges. Early human communities traveled vast distances following their food and living off the land. Humans, as well as their technologies, have greatly evolved since that period more than 200,000 years ago. One of the few things that has stayed constant, however, is the importance of a strong community. Whether it be as large as a country or as small as a neighborhood, our community has proven to play a vital role in our success.
Our relationships and interactions with our family, friends, co – workers, and other members of our community can greatly impact our health and well – being. When we integrate ourselves into communities with like – minded people, these interactions can motivate us to bring positive changes into our lives and invest in our well – being. Finding others with similar values and interests helps us realize that we are not alone and makes us feel valued. In fact, being accepted into a group gives us a stronger sense of self and helps us cope with negative feelings and experiences.
Communities can greatly influence us and how we perceive the world. I believe it’s important to acknowledge that these positive benefits come from immersing ourselves in a positive environment. A positive environment is one where there is an abundance of help and support to motivate us to reach our goals and even surpass them. Just as communities can be a powerful tool to benefit our lives, surrounding ourselves with individuals who do not wish to better themselves and indulge in self-sabotaging behaviors can also spoil our lives. Humans are inherently social beings, and the need to feel accepted and belong can sometimes cloud our judgment and prevent us from removing ourselves from negative environments and situations. It’s important to find people who share our values and who genuinely want what is best for us because they can help us become the best versions of ourselves.
Having a workout buddy, a friend that we commit to exercising consistently with, is a great way to bring positive change into our life. Starting a new workout routine, a new diet, or any new activity is difficult to do alone and having a partner to share those hardships with can make a massive difference. A workout buddy can help us stay motivated. When we encourage and push each other to exceed our perceived limits, we’ll both see better results. Not only that, having someone to constantly challenge us to add that extra weight, grind out that extra set, or even run that extra mile will make the workout feel more fun and exciting and less like a chore. Most importantly, having a workout buddy is more likely to keep us consistent. When we have someone else depending on us to show up, we don’t want to let them down. Sometimes when we don’t feel like working out or exercising, not wanting to let our partner down can be the difference between staying at home or staying consistent and on track.
It is important to determine our values and goals in life and search for others who share similar ones. When we build these positive environments within our community, we will most definitely increase our chances of experiencing all the positive benefits that a strong community has to offer and improve our overall quality of life.