I for a long while have had an interest in the term “Community”
Originally stemming from my company’s Sub Saharan interest via the Gulf and utilizing Dubai as a hub for Sub Saharan investments, growth and their examples of a successful model of cities and happy society when designing underdeveloped areas into communities in Africa (Africa is 54 countries, most largely yet to be developed and optimized to create new perfectly designed communities)
Since the Pandemic and normal holiday being in the United States for a usual Summer, Fall season has now elongated into more than many months now, so many that it all seems somewhat of a blur and I’ve lost count.
It is factual that your environment will eventually win, no matter what the environment is, if you do not have self discipline, self control and a personal value system in place, rather an unwavering sense of self that regardless of the environment you maintain the true essence of you. This leads me back to the community, and how a community is shaped and the people in the community function as a collective whole.
What is a supportive Community? A supportive community is filled with many different individuals, but a general consensus of thought like individuals. In every Country and environment that I have lived, many aspects are quite similar, I enjoy a tropical climate, close proximity in that environment from city life to beaches, a fit community, an entrepreneurial environment that is supportive and encouraging. An impressive social scene and nightlife, culture, exemplary restaurants, etc.,
Since the pandemic, almost a year now, I’d like to highlight what I consider and call a motivating community and how that has made a difference in my wellness and maintaining my healthy habits. A motivating community, where health is a priority (easily in cities where the weather is hotter year round and attracts this type of mindset that enjoy lounging in the sunshine and water sports in its residents) When the quarantine hit in 2020, Miami, always a community of beauty and wellness, became even more amplified in that aspect.
The fitness community no longer allowed in their gyms due to Covid-19 just pivoted and transitioned their routines outdoors. This also correlates with a community of people who would rather be outside than inside glued to Facebook, Instagram and the news. I had long abandoned social media, originally minimizing my usage to only checking on Sundays, I, living in another country just implemented a few likes and posts here and there, to keep up to date with people and what was going on in the US, to eventually deleting all together, as I had a new life elsewhere, where socializing in person and spending quality time with friends in person, actually talking and listening to one another, was a way of that community, live it vs show it, and I enjoy that aspect of life in Dubai, The UAE and surrounding Gulf communities, no one has anything to prove, and enjoys spending time with each other, although a proper coffee or food, dinner out posts are always a go, we are alive and actually normal!) Unbelievable but true, I have only watched the news maybe a few times in 13 months. We cannot control things, or rather we can only control things in our own lives and I knew that this was crucial to implement strategic discipline and hyperfocus healthy habits, create a routine that consisted of time blocking and really enjoy resting, this fabled 7-10 hrs sleep benefits we have all read about (something we all could have used more of pre CV-19) to sustain what we thought at the time would only last a few months in a post covid new world. As we are coming on to 1 year since the pandemic began, my healthy habits are automatic, and without question, I couldn’t talk myself out of them if I tried. A routine aligned with both my mind and body, very much supported by Miami’s motivating community.
My answer to what defines a supportive and motivating community is fitness and the abundance of people who are passionate about their personal fitness targets. Although, it doesn’t hurt to live in an area surrounded by gym’s that even on a half energy day you were thinking about pizza later and not working out, but got in the elevator with loads of people on their way to Equinox and without a word switched your thinking to the juice bar instead, choosing an Acai bowl or juice and to the market for fresh veggies, fish etc., Instead community remotivated you to choose to workout, and leave the pizza or treat evening after a week well accomplished. The pandemic in many ways has been an odd blessing, I had worked remotely for years as a yacht broker and when I became a MLO and last year started a brokerage with a few colleagues, we incorporated software that made in person contact irrelevant and streamlined the tech processes I had already become acclimated with having experience with many startups. The world was now starting to embrace what had been the norm for many years in my world and the startup communities, working remotely, Slack, G Suite, Zoom, Loom, software based applications for product and customer acquisition and retention, data, are now more mainstream, as well as the wellness and productivity levels when you lessen one’s commute to work and in office hours. I honestly think it is beneficial to utilize a remote environment, but also have a community office space. (We can’t completely abolish office space, I also do commercial loans and think there has to be an office environment available, if needed) I truly enjoyed having office suites at WeWork with my Yacht Brokerage, even though I could solid work from my laptop or phone. Company culture is an aspect of community (work community, when communicating completely in a Slack vortex, it is refreshing to spend moments with colleagues you know well virtually, sharing a coffee or lunch on an occasion, having a breather and change of scenery) I suppose community is just company culture on a larger human socialization and lifestyle scale.
Community is everything. It is that simple. Community whispers for you to get up and get dressed, sees you both before the sun is up, and also after it is down, en route to a workout, whether walking, jogging, running, sweating, freezing, continues in the rain, any fitness, any sport, dressed down, dressed up, smiling and serious, this is a motivating community, showing up, daily, week after week, month after month, on the sidelines as you all accomplish your personal targets collectively, on your side, I suppose, as everyone is both on the bleachers cheering and in their own game with a sense of simultaneous duality. I am not the best long distance runner, but if you run by me, I will tag on to your run and run with you. (I only have run in teams, with minutes and whistle breaks, but all running sports (soccer, field hockey, basketball, lacrosse) If you go, I go, is my inherited team sports mentality) It is a fact that the end destination isn’t the thrill of running, but the several accomplished milestones, along the way. Just one more street, or to one more lamppost, or there and by accomplishing that internal target your release of dopamine internally triggering an endurance boost in actuality allowing you to continue even further. It is both super healthy internally and stimulates brain, body, heart coherence and all to align
As year two is steadily approaching, I would encourage anyone to step up their fitness routine and transition to a healthier mindset. Workouts on You Tube are free! Get outside and please stop consuming, constant scrolling and worrying about others, turn your focus on self and ditch the non stop scrolling, get outside, get fresh air, sunlight and some form of activity that your community allows (as some countries are still in lockdowns) Take a walk, it works wonders as you take your mind out of portrait focus (staring at your phone) and puts you a panoramic focus (one where you can see yourself in your visual environment) This is good and super beneficial for your brain, and mindset.
I have considered myself a healthy person and always maintained a physique because I was an athlete and involved in sports, but I wasn’t truly fit and the workouts I did had a bulky affect changed my natural slender shape and it steered me away from wanting to go to the gym. I enjoy workouts with my own body weight and resistance. Diet, like workouts is different for everyone and you need to find what you enjoy and gives you the results you would like and are able to maintain. If you don’t enjoy doing them, it will be harder to continue. The biggest compliment was recently hearing someone behind me say, that’s it, I’m getting focused tomorrow and going back to the gym after saying “look at her” I am also a part of the collective community, responsible for encouraging others, as well as myself, much like the runner who encouraged the same statement within myself, this also emphasizing the domino effect and importance of a healthy community. My community doesn’t question why I never or rarely drink, why I intermittent fast, or what I eat, or why, or why I wear the same workout clothes
Action first, thoughts, and in the end result are a changed perspective. Nothing changes without action. It is not thinking and evaluating and doing, but the actual doing that changes your thinking and ultimately changes your perspective. I have also dived deep into the ideas of perspective, but that topic as well as thoughts belong in an entirely different discussions it as they are both equal and individually quite vast.
In retrospect your community actually shapes you, and in real estate, or business location is everything, you are your own personal real estate, so when thinking of yourself and your community, make the choice that will encourage you to be the best version of yourself. BC (before Covid) this was also important, but now it is actually crucial for your mental wellbeing and physical fitness. This is as much about survival of the mentally fit as it is physical, although they go hand in hand technically. The conversations you hear daily, the environment you are in and the people you spend the most time with all affect your personal trajectory for your way forward. The great thing about the internet is it allows you to cultivate the people you spend the most time with online, if there are no inspiring people around you. You are in complete control of the algorithms in your life and can implement what you see fit (no pun intended) into your circumference of what you hear, see and absorb) We are all electromagnetic beings and can program are own algorithms, easier, if you have self discipline and can say no to people and conversations that do not have a healthy affect or benefit what your ultimate goals and targets are. It is okay to say no, to stop spending time with people who do not align with your beliefs and core values, to implement structure and routines into your life. It is actually imperative during these months and years as we transition to transition permanently a new global way of life. If you think things are ever going back to the pre Covid norm, I am here to seriously encouraging you to live in the present and implement strategies for your and the future. You can cultivate a community within your current environment if you are strategic and care and like yourself more than you care if anyone else likes you.
Final Thought
These are just my opinion, but a sense of self, true self, supported within a thought like and community of people within that community with same ideals, beliefs and behaviors is quite stimulating and although I truly think the internet is genius, I believe you should maximize the incredible benefits of it as a Blackberry slogan phrased ever so beautifully as “tools not toys”
I felt by CV-19 a lot of people suffered more a mental war over any physical or health battles they had to overcome. It is a fact that physical well being and mental, brain function is in a relationship, it is your choice if you want to understand these benefits better but it will definitely not be on your regret list. It would behoove everyone to live in a thoughtful manner, consciously, and incredibly strategic in all moments moving forward, but it is ultimately up to everyone to take these decisions and bring them into their lives. I encourage everyone to implement healthy habits, as I will continue to mine (I started last spring after I arrived in Miami, first with healthier eating habits and once I mastered that, I started exercising on a regular basis in the summer) turn your focus internally, put the focus on you, until the focus is on you. Be well, stay safe, use your brain, and take your heart with you, maintain safety guidelines, but live normal, without fear and do something now that your future self will be really grateful for.
