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Number 18, “ABC’s of Following Your Dreams: 26 Keys That Worked For Me” was “Relationships…it is extremely difficult and lonely to try and succeed on your own. Take the time to build a circle of support.”
Returning from Dodge City, Kansas and Follow Through Camp last week I realized again just how true this is.
My interests are many and include entrepreneurship/self-employment, writing, creativity, personal growth & development, software & technology, the environment, nutrition and vegetarian/vegan lifestyles and many more.
Not everyone in my circle of support shares all of my interests. But, what we do share is a passionate desire to know ourselves, an honest desire to make a difference in the lives of others and the world, and to live an honest, passionate, authentic life.
But, finding and building a circle of support, sometimes called a community or tribe, is a not passive activity. It’s not just about meeting people and hanging out. You have to do more than just show up.
You need to actively seek out and engage and interact with others. This includes sharing, learning and teaching.
Follow Through Camp wasn’t a lecture type workshop. It was a hands-on, give and take, raise your hand, move around, talk and share workshop. We worked together and we helped each other.
The Storytelling Workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada last year was a similar experience.
After that workshop we took the time and effort to stay connected via email and a few phone calls to share, support and help one another.
Joining an organization or group, taking classes or attending workshops/seminars are all ways you can begin meeting and building a circle of support.
But, meeting people doesn’t just occur face to face, in person. The new social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Ning, LinkedIn and others give you an opportunity to meet and interact with people from all over the world.
I’ve met a number of people in the virtual world who I consider part of my circle of support, my tribe. I’ve introduced you to many of them on The Dreaming Café’s website and here in the New Friends section.
Together all of these people, those I have met personally and those I have met online, form my circle of support and I actively support them.
Most of the work we do as we pursue our dreams and goals is done alone. Sometimes it is hard to keep going. An email from a friend, a brief conversation, a blog post or 140 character quote or helpful link on Twitter, is all we need sometimes to remind us we are not alone and why we started down this road in the first place.
This interaction is about giving and taking. It is often very easy to give, to share information with others and to offer support. The other side of the coin is to ask for help and support when you need it, to be willing to take the helping hand that is offered to you. To stay balanced support and encouragement needs to flow in both directions.
As you begin building your circle of support ask yourself:
You may not have realized it, but when you chose to subscribe to The Dreaming Café’s newsletter you took a step toward joining your tribe, a community of like minded people; people on a creative journey to self discovery; people actively pursuing their dreams and goals.
To help you meet your community, your tribe and to help you build a circle of support I have created an online social network, The Dreaming Café Community on Ning.
For more information: About The Dreaming Cafe Community
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Really liked this post (and your blog!). I loved the questions you’ve posed here…definitely have a lot to think about right now!