What We Can Learn From The Universal Experience Of Back-To-School
Summer doesn’t officially end until September, but the Back-To-School season kicks off in August and signals that the season is winding down. There is a feeling in the air in late July as children and families in every community begin to prepare for school. School supplies, new clothes, and last-minute vacations fill the remaining time of summer vacation, and there is a communal sense of anticipation.
Community Is Collective Experience
Everyone relates to the back-to-school prep; there is a thrill in the new supplies and smell of fresh crayons that we all associate with a new school year! We’ve all been there, and it brings us together with memories of our own experiences gearing up for a fresh start in the next grade up.
It’s this collective feeling that makes it possible for us to relate to a family we’ve never met whom we spy frantically searching for a certain, very particular No. 2 pencil; we’ve been there, and we understand.
Community Is Extending Empathy
Imagine if we can stretch that level of understanding to include other situations that are not as universal as going back to school. What if we think about others and relate to their feelings of struggle and courage? It shouldn’t take a tragic event to make us come together and help one another find an inner reserve of strength to overcoming obstacles. Let’s do this now.
When you can look at another person and feel a sense of community, just for the fact that you exist in the same space, then you are more likely to empathize. If there is more empathy, then there is so much less strife; isn’t it better when someone who gets it smiles when you’re having a rough day? They recognize it, they’ve been there too, and they are lending you some strength. We can build this sense of empathy and community.
Creating Community At Core
When you are working towards your health goals, you are more likely to recognize someone else who has been walking in your old shoes. Do you see someone struggling with their weight or feeling badly about their lack of energy? Do you know the feeling of wanting to get started changing your life but uncertain how to even begin?
You have a chance to step up and develop community. It starts by sharing your story. You don’t have to tell someone what to do but explain where you have been; tell your story. What was your last straw? Who did you turn to for help? How did you enter through the doors to begin your health journey?
The next time you relate to someone who is in need of better health, spread empathy and include them in our community. Let’s develop our own universal experience of Back-To-Health, a collective feeling of support and strength.
