“It takes a village to raise a child,” says an African proverb.
But this child is you. It’s me. It’s our loved ones. It’s the ones we know.
This child grows up to become a dreamer. Just like us. She has outgrown what the village has to offer her. And she leaves the village one day, hoping to find the “promised land” that everyone talks about.
That’s where things take a turn.
You see, life’s too unpredictable to be at the mercy of daily, weekly, monthly or yearly goals that you’ve set for yourself.
You have to be flexible.
You have to be strong.
You need to be resilient.
But can you do it all by yourself? If only motivation yourself was this easy. It’s difficult. Frustrating. You just might throw in the towel before the round gets over.
And here’s when the African proverb actually comes to life. You may not be able to go back to the village that raised you, but you can certainly build one. A village that is for you and the people like you.
The Facebook and MeetUp (and the countless others!) groups that we are subscribed to are nothing but villages. That’s the place where we build new relations and help each other to rise further.
Building a village is not a one off project. It’s a lifelong commitment. At times, you may even find yourself leaving a village, only to build or join another one. Just keep moving forward. That’s the key.
I think the world belongs to those who have a passion to build these villages, these communities that bring the people together and help them grow. That’s what empowering means after all — “make (someone) stronger and more confident.”
And here’s the best part — you can build one for free. All it takes is one idea. You don’t even have to have another soul part of this village — just keep moving forward. Spread the word around and sooner you will have more followers than you’ve imagined.
Isn’t that a mission worth living for?
Roll up your sleeves. We’ve got a village to build.
#MakeItMatter