by Terez Hartmann
Connecting on a regular basis with a good vibe tribe can be a mega-tool for transforming your life.
A Multitasking Resolution?
Welcome to a glorious New Year filled with oodles of possibilities for fab-YOU-lousity!
With the wave of new-beginning mojo at its highest, it’s no wonder that so many of us want to get on and ride it via creating resolutions and declaring intentions for the coming year!
…But what if there was a resolution that could actually help you meet MULTIPLE goals at once, AND enjoy the journey even more in the process? If this intrigues you, you may also want to resolve to CONNECT!
Freedom with a Twist…
Even though (via the magic of technology) having the freedom to be able to work, create, exercise, date and live on your terms in the comfort of your casa or mobile office is pretty freakin’ awesome, it can be FAR too easy to spend a little too much time in your PJs, live in constant project mode, forget to eat and move, or turn what should be only a passing funky thought into a monster, mind-melting tornado that can deplete your energy, slow your success mojo, and kill your joy. And, when it comes to keeping your resolutions, feeling like you’re going it alone can also make it very easy to lose steam and delay realizing your dreams.
If you’ve ever experienced anything similar to this, the best medicine may actually come in the form of…
…Peeps! (And no, not the sugar coma-inducing candy!)
The Power of Positive Peeps
Being an introverted extrovert (or is it an extroverted introvert?), there are definitely times that I like my cats FAR more than many humans, which results in typically opting out of events that have the highest potential for the dreaded “small talk.” <insert retching sound here> However, I HAVE found that connecting on a regular basis with a good vibe tribe of people who want to thrive can be a mega-tool for transforming your life!
We independent types have many things in common, especially our ability to stand on our own (which is a fantastic thing, indeed!), but often, without meaning to, we can buy into feelings of isolation and start busting our own groove in mega ways. Yes, you may have a gazillion Facebook “likes,” Instagram followers, or YouTube subscribers who shower compliments upon you, but there’s something about creating meaningful, authentic connections—and connecting on a regular basis—that has been proven to have far-reaching benefits for increasing and maintaining well-being, keeping the fires of your career passions lit, helping you follow through on your resolutions and goals, and even help you LIVE LONGER!
In a detailed, solution-focused study, researchers have identified five “Blue Zones” (https://www.bluezones.com), which are places on planet earth that have the highest occurrence of health, happiness, and longevity. In addition to heathy eating habits and active lifestyles, one of the key contributing factors to keeping your chin up AND allowing longevity was linked to what Okinawans call a “Moai” or what I like to call a “Tribe of Five.” In Okinawan culture, individuals who form life-long, constructive, nurturing, authentic bonds with a group of five or more friends and who meet on a regular basis feel a strong sense of being supported and typically live active, healthy lives into their 100s!
Taking this idea a step further, when you connect with like-minded peeps who share your desire to accentuate the positive and embrace healthy habits, while also creating “accountability anchors” for each other, you not only enjoy all the health and well-being bonuses, BUT are also FAR more likely to stick to your guns and get things done!
And one more thing: On top of feeding YOUR positive vibe and momentum*, meeting on a regular basis with your good vibe tribe allows YOU to get to share YOUR gift of a fresh perspective with another fellow traveler, allowing YOU to get to be a catalyst for fabulous for other peeps!
*This BTW, keeps a positive POA, “Point of Attraction” in play = far less “required” action to bring your dreams to fruition!
Yep, resolving to connect is truly THE gift that keeps on giving and could perhaps be THE thing that makes life most worth living!
Ready to resolve to connect and find your tribe? Consider these ideas:
- Join a like-minded, positive Meetup group (Meetup.com) with people who share your interests and passions (If you’re a fan of Law of Attraction, Abraham-Hicks, Mindfulness, etc., use these key words in your search).
- Volunteer for a good-vibe organization whose mission is all about making a positive difference in your community/the world (FYI: I volunteer for a fab local organization in the greater Tampa Bay area of Florida, USA, that empowers women TheAmazingWoman.org ).
- Create or participate in a weekly or monthly “Mastermind” group.
- Join or start a book club, focused around inspiring reads.
- Participate in one-on-one or group coaching to stay on track and keep your inner fire lit.
- Create a work-out/wellness tag-team. Establish a group of three to five peeps who want to get and stay healthy, so that someone is always available to be a positive catalyst for helping you eat and drink in ways that energize and strengthen your bod, and keep your dates with the trail, your fitness/yoga class, or to go the gym.
- -Even if you are married, in a happy, committed relationship or have a #1 bestie, create a Moai*/Tribe of Five; rather than making one person your “absolute everything,” this allows all parties the opportunity to be “human” and to have “tag-team” assistance/support when needed. Connect/touch base with your Tribe of Five in some way on a regular basis.
*For more about Moai and “The Blue Zones” visit:
https://www.bluezones.com/2018/08/moai-this-tradition-is-why-okinawan-people-live-longer-better/
The Bottom Line on: Want to Live Long AND Prosper—Resolve to Connect!
You are meant to see and be seen. You are meant to thrive and be truly ALIVE. You have a story to tell and music in your soul that SO wants to be expressed to and THROUGH you—and even though the act of creativity is in and of itself a great reward, SHARING your ideas, stories, knowledge, and creations with others can give them hope and inspiration, while providing you with another avenue to experience the beauty and wonder of YOUR sweet SELF.
Enjoy the fabulous leverage and opportunities our amazing tech has to offer, but remember that there is truly incredible joy, power, support and FUN to be had by showing up and participating in life alongside your good-vibe tribe!
Follow your inspiration and connect with the peeps your soul wants to meet…
…And you may just come to see that this may be one of your greatest keys to realizing your dreams!
Terez “Firewoman” Hartmann,“Your catalyst for all things Fab-YOU-lous,” is the author of Allowing Your Success!, a proud contributing author of Transform Your Life! book one and two, a professional Keynote Speaker/Workshop Facilitator, Singer Songwriter/Recording Artist, “Allowing Adventures!” & “Savor Vacation” Facilitator, and true Renaissance Woman, and Visionary. She keeps her fire lit by embracing and promoting a lifestyle of “Allowing,” and by using creative expression to elevate and ignite the human spirit, a passion that she shares with her husband, soul-mate and creative partner of over 15 years, John Victor Hartmann. Together they share “Allowing TRUE LOVE” workshops and experiences designed to help others attract, allow, and maintain extraordinary relationships, and create custom jingles and voice-overs in their studio, THE Creativity Express. Visit: http://www.TerezFirewoman.com