If you want to go quickly, go alone.
If you want to go far, go with a group.
~African proverb
Have you ever been on a journey of self discovery, to find yourself stuck in the mud?
Doing a course online and feeling like you should have gotten more out of the experience? Wish you had someone to validate how you are feeling?
Well, the power is in the group. Here are 5 of the top benefits I have experienced in attending and leading group work.
1. I am not alone
When we are moving through our lives in all the complexities, upsets and anxiety we often feel alone and lost. It doesn’t seem possible that someone else could feel this lost, or out of answers. When we work with groups we share our lives, and while they seldom sound exactly the same they often parallel each other and bring to light the sameness in each of our paths. We no longer feel alone, inadequate or misunderstood. We feel like there is hope, and in looking from the outside at someone else’s life we often see a solution for our own. There is great comfort in being heard and seen by others, we are not alone.
2. Sharing our story
Our story is how we tell our life. Sometimes we share a story that has a tragic ending, or a dragon in the middle. When we speak our story aloud it changes it, suddenly in the witnessing of it by others, it doesn’t seem so tragic or lost. In speaking aloud we have insights and aha’s that are not available when we are living it inside our head. In the hearing of another’s story we are inspired, awed and moved. We see possibilities for them and for us. It brings us together, celebrates our humanity and creates bonds.
3. Inspiration
Hearing how other people have moved past or worked through their challenges is inspiring and informative. When we hear stories about others, find the connections to our own story and feel how connected we truly are, we are inspired and in that inspiration we raise our vibration. Raising our vibration is the goal and being inspired, feeling good, feeling connected to others is the best way.
4. Raising the vibration
Energy is more than a sum of it’s parts, with the right alignment it works exponentially. We are all connected, when we come together the vibration of our united intention increases. Just as a mob can go wrong quickly with a higher intention we can go right just as quickly. As we raise our vibration we disallow those at a lower energy access to our space. At a higher vibration we have access to solutions, creation and connectedness. This is our goal and it just isn’t possible to do alone with the same effectiveness.
5. Community Support
Trying to do it alone never works for me. Knowing that I have no one keeping me accountable, or counting on me keeps me in the same mud I started in. Somehow ‘life’ gets busy and chaotic, and growth and self discovery take a back seat. When I am with a group I know that there are others out there counting on me to add my energy, keep the vibration rising and sharing myself. What I do makes a difference for others, and all we have to do to prove this is share just one story, comment or appreciate one other person. Having support, especially when it is an online workshop or training, is the key to success and creating a space of fun and love.
There are many other benefits for each individual, these are just a few for me. I now sign up for only one workshop or training a year that is done alone. The others are all group work with others who are like minded, heart centered and expanding themselves. Enjoy your next group, notice how effective being a part of a whole can be, show your appreciation for the others who show up for themselves and you.