COMMUNITY - Sharing, participation, and fellowship. [Community week starts here. Click for this week's Bliss Initiatives.]
I am very excited to have Pam from Pam's Perspectives writing today's guest post. Over on her terrific blog, Pam shares about the books she has been reading and her "perspectives" in general. If you are looking for a good read or a fun diversion her blog is a great place to visit. Pam is also one of the founders of Words of Wisdom. WOW as we (yes I've been hooked since finding out about it!) like to call it, is a community of bloggers who care about the actual written word and the "blogs of substance" that traffic in thought provoking content. If you are looking for a rousing and interesting read I highly recommend you peruse the Wow website!
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The word Community conjures up many images. It can bring to mind our neighborhood, our workplace, our social network, our community at large or even the world community. In our everyday lives we are members of all these communities. And our involvement and interaction in each can be varied. We can be active members in some communities and virtually uninvolved in others. As a fairly outgoing and social person, I feel that I am someone who takes an active part in many of the fore mentioned communities. For me, being an active and engaged member of the world around me is essential to being engaged in life itself. It isn’t always easy getting involved in the various communities we find ourselves members of. And sometimes it can be downright frustrating. But being actively involved in the world around us adds vibrancy to life to that simply can’t be had by sitting on the sidelines. I encourage you to join (or start) the neighborhood block party or yard sale, sign up for the social committee at work, organize a potluck supper for your friends, volunteer for a local charity that speaks to you or get involved in a international organization that aims to better the life of people around the world. Life is enriched when we live it to the fullest. Being an active member of a Community that is meaningful to you, is way one to accomplish that.
There is another type of Community that can also be rewarding. The Blogging Community. When I started my personal blog, Pam’s Perspective, in February 2009 I had virtually no experience with blogs. I didn’t know anything about followers, blog hopping, blogging networks, etc. Very soon after starting blogging, I was introduced to a blogging support site and was soon introduced to a wide variety of blogs and bloggers. It was fun to visit other blogs and leave comments on their posts. And soon, some of those bloggers were visiting my blog. And before I knew it, I had a built a little blogging community right there on Pam’s Perspective. And now, 15 months later, I have can honestly say that I consider some of those bloggers to be my friends. And even though I have never met them face to face, I look forward to reading and commenting on their blogs and reading the comments that they leave for me. Some of these bloggers are even people I have turned to for advice in my personal life (behind the scenes, of course). And I can say that I have been asked to share my opinion or advice with more than one bloggy buddy. These relationships are real friendships. Even though we have never met in person, spoken on the phone or even heard each other’s voices. And I treasure each and every one of them.
So how does one go about building a blogging community? The most important thing is to visit and comment on blogs that appeal to you. One way to find those blogs is to join a blogging community of like minded bloggers. After a little more than a year of blogging, I found that the blogging community I had joined seemed to be catering to a certain type of blogger that was not of interest to me. I was having trouble finding blogs and bloggers of “substance”. Bloggers who were blogging to share ideas, who write thought provoking posts that make the reader think. Bloggers who focus on content. Those are the types of bloggers I enjoy reading most. I was unable to find a blog community of this type and I realized that there were probably other bloggers out there who were also looking for just this type of blog and blogger. So in March of this year, I collaborated with another blogger, Sandy of It’s a Jungle Out There, and we created our very own blogging community – Words of Wisdom(WOW). And in the 2 ½ short months of its existence, WOW has grown to 147 members. Sandy and I have received numerous emails telling us how much they appreciate having a community like WOW in which to share ideas and find like minded bloggers. Creating and being a part of WOW’s community and the community on Pam’s Perspective has been an enriching experience. I encourage all of you to find a blogging community that fits your interests and introduces you to bloggers with shared interests, whether it be crafting, photography, books/reading, parenting, woodworking, NASCAR, whatever. And if you can’t find the right blogging community, create one yourself. I promise you “if you build it, they will come”. -------------
What communities are you building?
Next Post: Finding who shares my passion
My 13 bliss virtues are joy, order, creativity, passion, whimsy, serenity, inquiry, community, romance, gratitude, moxie, humility, and surprise.
This week we are studying Community. Next up is Romance Week.
