This article was originally published on Special Events.
When we think about our communities, we can see the entirety of the impact they’ve had on our businesses, careers and personal growth. Look closely enough and you’ll see the rungs of the ladder you’ve been climbing since you started out: the referrals that built your client base, the partnerships that opened your brand up to media attention, the organizations that valued your ideas, and the associations that provided leadership opportunities along the way.
The faces, brands and groups that form your community are an invaluable, unique patchwork of support that has had your back since the start. Likewise, you’ve surely dedicated your own time and energy to lifting up your community as a whole.
Recently, COVID-19 has forced us to retreat to our homes, clear our calendars of appointments, and rely on technology to stay connected to our networks. By no means is this an ideal situation, but it’s important to recognize that a feeling of community is more important now than ever before. We shouldn’t be thinking of it as “social distancing” but more as “physical distancing”; we can and should still be social members of our communities. It’s one of the only things that will get us through to recovery.