A scientific study done in 2010 found that the positive effect of friendships on a person’s life span is twice as strong as that of exercising and equivalent to that of quitting smoking! (More on this in a wonderful article that can be found here!). Community is VITAL for our health + well-being!

This topic is one that will NEVER grow old to me because I am wired for community (and I think you are, too). We’ve heard that being a small business owner + working for yourself can be extremely isolating, + while at times that is true, I believe wholeheartedly that whether you’re a small business owner OR you work for a big corporation, we ALL need community!! Today I want to share with you three reasons why I think the relationships in our lives are SO important:

1. Without Community We Believe Lies

When we’re isolated from those around us, it is SO easy to believe lies about ourselves. “No one else struggles with this” …. “There can’t possibly be anyone else who understands how bad this situation is” … “I am not good enough because ________.” If we face these thoughts alone + never share such fears or insecurities or thoughts with anyone else, the truth is that we WILL believe them to be true. And these thoughts can CRUSH us. We need friends to tell us the TRUTHS about who we are!! And remind us of the positive blessings that do fill our lives when we are feeling down!!

2. Communities of People Build One Another Up

Can I get an AMEN!? As JFK once famously said, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Okay, this is something I believe with my whole heart. When we build relationships + communities in our lives, we are surrounding ourselves with people who can help us + in turn, we can help them. Whether it’s a neighborhood of people — meeting the family next door + finding out that you can swap babysitting for date nights, or the man across the street that really knows his stuff about painting + can teach you a thing or two(!!), or a fitness group at work that can motivate + hold you accountable to getting back into shape like you’ve been wanting to do — communities push us to become better people + allow us to prosper in ways we simply cannot on our own!

We have an online community for all of our brides + we LOVE it because it is a place where we can share information with them that we know will help them in their wedding planning process! Additionally, they can ask each other questions about vendor referrals, make-up ideas, registry questions — you get the idea!! This community of brides is serving one another as they are all in the same stage of life + we LOVE it!!!!

3. We Were Made for Community

Plain + simple, we were MADE for community. I believe this with EVERYTHING in me. We are NOT meant to “do life” alone. I have mentioned this before, but two wedding seasons ago, Caleb + I worked … and worked … and worked. We didn’t make time for the PEOPLE in our lives + as we walked away from the end of our busy season, we were spent. Exhausted EMOTIONALLY. And we couldn’t figure out why. As we began having more time for the relationships in our life because it was our slow season, we also began feeling more energized. Fulfilled. And we realized that it WASN’T because we literally had more time to rest, but it WAS because we were spending time with our friends + our family. So we made the CHOICE to spend time with these same people (evening during our busy season!) + believe it or not, we felt more encouraged, energized, + joyful!!

Are you in community? Or are you trying to do things alone? If you’re finding yourself more in the latter boat, I strongly encourage you to take a step of faith + get involved in a community. Or even just rekindle some of those friendships that you maybe haven’t been giving enough time to. I PROMISE it will be worth it. If you think you don’t have time, you do!! Making time for the relationships in your life will give you more energy + fulfillment in everything you do!!

**If you’re a creative entrepreneur looking for community with like-minded individuals, I recommend checking out The Rising Tide Society! If you’re not based in Madison, Wisconsin, you can find a group near you here! If you are located in Madison, you can find more information here!!