The Power of Communal Support. It’s HUGE!
Paul White's nationally distributed syndicated column, “The Power of Communal Support. It’s HUGE!” is published in 22 publications across seven states. This includes the following newspapers and digital publications: Midland Daily News (MI), SFGate (CA), Seattle PI (WA), Connecticut Post (CT), Laredo Morning Times (TX), Huron Daily Tribune (MI), The Telegraph (IL), and more. In this week's article, Paul shares the tremendous benefits of communal support, and the power of ongoing encouragement and accountability for the actions we are inclined to pursue in life.
Never have been a fan of resolutions. Why? Because I’ve witnessed pretty much all of them failing after a short trial period that never gained any traction. Plus, my mind goes to a place that imagines some old fogey man standing in front of a group of people claiming, “It is resolved that blah blah blah, H’rmph, H’rmph, blah, and more blah.” That’s why I’ve personally placed resolutions in a permanent time out replacing them instead with a “Let’s DO this” mentality which allows me to devote well-thought-out GiddyUp into the equation that leads to consistent success. Recently, I found a way to super-charge my “Let’s DO this” mentality and I want to share it with all of you today.
A friend of mine, Diane, posted on social media that she had set a goal for the previous year to walk 400 miles and, lo and behold, reached the goal on the last day of the year with her supportive husband walking with her. I was so inspired reading her post that I mentioned to my wife that we should set a 12-month walking goal and include our youngest son even though he’s attending college 2 hours away. What a great connection we’ll have as we follow each other’s progress. My wife said “Let’s DO this.” So, the following day I posted a picture of the three of us after completing our first walk (3 miles), with a 12-month goal of 500, on social media and tagged Diane thanking her for being the inspiration for our “Let’s DO this” goal. That’s when the magic happened that I hadn’t anticipated.
Soon after I posted thanking Diane and showing the results of our first walk, people began commenting on the post. They asked questions like “Is there an app that keeps running track of your distance over the year?” to which others offered suggestions. Some people went analytical explaining the distance a person needed to average each day to achieve success. Some comments offered support, admiration, and encouragement for no other reason than to hope we were able to accomplish the goal we set out to achieve. Then things took a turn for the better.
I was blown away that other friends of ours wanted to be part of our “Let’s DO this” quest. A communal support group had begun to take shape. This got me thinking deeply about the tremendous benefits of communal support. The two most prominent benefits of communal support are encouragement and accountability.
My recent interviews and speeches have included the role that the power of encouragement can play in everyone’s life. Communal support amplifies that power many times over. I’m also a big believer in tying accountability, utilizing some form of measurement, into everything we do in life. It’s why I spend so much time encouraging people to provide evidence that they are “A Person Of ACTION” in all that they do. Intentions have no usefulness. Our actions are what define our character. Being held accountable for our actions supports positive movement in the direction of our life.
Let’s consider the awesomeness of communal support. Imagine you are part of a group where everyone’s cheering for you and you’re cheering for everyone. That alone is so powerful for our mental well-being. When communal support includes accountability, it acts like a thermometer constantly assessing if we’re on pace to meet our shared goal. Accountability can promote caring and compassion when one of the members may be falling behind. It’s then that people may reach out to check if everything is okay or if you’re experiencing an unanticipated challenge. It might also be part of a cure for the loneliness that so many people are challenged with in today’s society. This is the part of communal support that I love the most.
So, at this point you may be thinking that YOU would like to be part of a common interest group offering communal support. I hope you are. We should ALL experience ongoing encouragement and accountability for the actions we’re inclined to pursue in life. Your first question is likely to be “How do I find a communal support group for the things that I’m interested in?” and I would suggest that a successful search would begin with a strategic internet search. If that doesn't produce the results you’re looking for, then be “A Person of Action” and form one. At least initiate the process.
Looking back on my life, I realize that I’ve subconsciously utilized communal support successfully in a wide variety of ways from having a workout partner that I didn’t want to disappoint by not showing up, to being part of a disability support group, to seeking out others to share my cancer success story with, to being a part of a business cost group. In every case, I have deep gratitude for the encouragement I received and the accountability I was held to. Reaching a goal of 500 miles in 12 months? Gonna be a walk in the park (which counts, right?). Hey…I Believe In YOU! Join or form a communal support group today! GiddyUp!
Paul White is a guest columnist and author. Purchase his life-changing book “The Answer Discovery – How to Change the World by Helping Others…and Ourselves” at http://bit.ly/PaulWhiteAmazon. If you’re interested in getting in touch with Paul, please submit an inquiry via our Contact Page.