January 9, 2013
I happen to wonder a lot if some of my issues (or maybe all of them) in my business or in life or whatever have to do with community – or lack thereof.
This has showed up in many different thought forms over however many years that I’ve been wondering about it.
I’ve been noticing how some experts or spiritual teachers or healers have created a community.
One psychic I casually know has a community. She gives phone classes to her community several times a week for 2+ hours each time for just $30 a month. I think this is super cheap. Even ridiculous. Sure she has the group interacting with one another, so it’s not like she’s teaching the whole time – but this is her time she’s giving as well, plus support, plus information. I was in her community for a month because I wanted to learn about a certain topic she was teaching that month and I found that the low price, plus the frequency of calls and the duration (2 hours several nights a week to be on the phone is painful for me) caused me to NOT value what she was offering. She made herself too available. I know this sounds weird… maybe I just got what I needed from that community (the teachings) and didn’t need it anymore, but she’s always talking about her community.
When asked one time why she Only charges $30 a month for her group she said that she really wanted the community. Okay.
Hmm… is this something I want?
Then there’s this other woman who has an online community, a social media type of group, where people are encouraged to sign up for a free profile and interact with one another (I’m not 100% sure what they do on that site, but I know it’s somewhat like Facebook which I find a bore) and she does this for free. She developed the technology and pays to run it, for free.
Why does she do it? Again, community. And maybe that she knew she was building something bigger there… now anytime she publishes a book and anytime she wants to speak in different states she has her built in community who is dying to see her, purchase tickets to her talks, and buy her books.
Genius, I guess… but I don’t have the energy or desire to do that.
Same deal with a healer that I somewhat follow. And several expert type people. They have free facebook communities where they gather their people and their people talk and ask one another questions, get clients, who knows what… moral support, again this is done for free. With all of these groups the expert and/or healer doesn’t really show their face in the group, although they do chime in with comments and do have to monitor it to a certain extent. But again, all free, and again, all community.
Now, do these ladies know something I don’t know? The power of community?
Yes, maybe.
But here’s the deal. At times I’ve flirted with the idea of my own community – and at times I will complain that I don’t feel supported, etc. But here’s the deal… I don’t like being on the computer more than I have to… although I tend to linger on somedays more than I’d like… and I don’t like doing calls on the phone, like in the evening, as I like having student sessions then and also can’t be bothered with the technology. I am realizing more and more I’m more of an in person type of person.
But what about this community thing.
Does it not ring true for me?
Is it not a genius marketing idea?
For me, it just feels like more energy and time to output and I can’t be bothered.
Sure, I should look at the big picture… maybe.
Sure, maybe it’ll help me feel like I have more supportive people around me, but I don’t know….
I haven’t been feeling like it and I guess what’s been lingering with me over these last several months when thinking about all this stuff, I’ve been wondering why I don’t have the call or the interest for community like others do.
Sure, in my mind it sounds nice. But I think maybe I’m more of a solo person.
Well, of course I am.
But is this cause I really am.. or is it cause I never felt like I belonged?