The first day I went to the church Geordan and I now attend, the sermon series was centered around accountability and community. Since that first day, our church family continues to reemphasize the importance of doing life with others.
Unfortunately, whether it be pride or a need for privacy, our society has become very self-centered. But I have witnessed firsthand the importance of community and specifically accountability partners. Since I’ve began to understand the benefits of community, there are three major things I’ve noticed. When we consciously decide to be a part of community:
We Can Ask for Help
As I shared in last week’s post I often tell my husband what my goals are, whether he responds or not because sharing them makes them real. It also provides an easy segueif I start working towards my goals and realize that I need help – whether that means washing the dishes so I’m freed up to write or if it means creating designs for something I want to publish.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 is the perfect illustration of this. It says “Two are better than one because they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”
We Can Go Farther
Black Girls with Purpose is a direct example of this concept. Our organization initially started out as a book. One day I shared the book with my aunt and she said, “You know what you should do? You should create a workbook and come down to host a workshop here in Texas!”
I hadn’t considered workshops as a way to help go in more depth about principles shared in the book but once I had that initial thought planted in my head, I couldn’t let go of it! I hosted my first series of workshops the following summer and from there started receiving invitations to do more workshops and speak at events. If I had kept my book to myself while it was still in its initial phases of publications, I could have missed out on a bigger vision and wouldn’t be pursuing Black Girls with Purpose as a full-time career today.
We’re Reminded of Our Progress
It’s often said that we human beings are our biggest critics and I’m definitely proof positive of that. As someone whose top strength is achievement, I often forget to take a moment to sit and reflect on what it is that I’ve been able to check off my to-do list before moving on to my next task. Thankfully, my friends are great at pointing out the difference between where I was last year and where I am. This can do wonders for your mindset!
Knowing someone is watching is also great motivation to keep pushing. You start looking forward to sharing the latest you’ve been able to check off your list. This particular benefit will be the most important as you fight to your finish line.
Maybe you’ve only got one more class left before graduation, one more paper to submit or project before you can give your job the deuces. Remember, how you start is not as important a show you finish. In the same way a runner can sprint at the beginning of a race and still lose in the end, you must pace yourself, and keep close to a community of friends who will cheer you on when you most need it.