COMMUNITY IS KING/QUEEN
I grew up never really valuing the power of a supportive community. When I was younger I just thought of it as a term places like IGA used for their noticeboard so people could sell their trailers and post about their lost pets… man how wrong was I.
Being a part of a positive community in any version is absolutely vital to your own happiness and wellbeing.
Community and culture is THE MOST important aspect of our gym.
Without it, it would still be a room of exercise equipment, high quality coaching and a place where health and fitness improves.
But it wouldn’t have that special spark that makes you think ‘this is my second home’. My second safe space where I know I can go and people will be happy to see me, support me and accept me for me.
In the book ‘The Culture Code’ by Daniel Coyle, he discusses the importance of belonging to groups and how positive belonging cues (eg. eye contact, humour, high fives, questions, active listening, close physical proximity, high levels of mixing between people) attributed to healthy groups and communities has such a positive impact on you and your feeling of safety.
“Their (belonging cues) function is to answer the ancient, ever-present questions glowing in our brains: Are we safe here? What’s our future with these people? Are there dangers lurking?”
When we’re in school we usually have a group of friends. We have a little support network. A crew that we hang with, can be somewhat more open with and feel safe to be amongst… Our own mini community.
But when school is over we begin working, we have kids and we start to do our own thing, the community can fade. Dwindling down to just a few of your most important friends, who you don’t see anywhere near as much as you used to. And if you are not a part of a sporting or social club, our sense of community can diminish without us even realising it’s gone. Without even realising how valuable it was to us. The personal feelings associated with belonging… feeling safe, confidence in our future and our perception of danger… decreases. We are less likely to feel comfortable in our space, we aren’t going to be able to vision a positive future, things are going to make us more scared.
Maybe this is another cause for increasing stress, anxiety and self doubt once you hit your mid 20’s and 30’s? Interesting…
A community makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself.
A community creates an opportunity to serve others, which in return helps serve you.
A community fosters growth, learning and development.
A community helps you feel like you are not alone.
The culture and community we have at CrossFit Cranbourne is incredibly special.
It hasn’t been developed purely by the magic of the CrossFit methodology.
It has been purposely and very specifically developed with the intentions to create a space of support, care, zero judgement, generosity and gratitude.
It has been built over time by the staff and the members within.
It has evolved.
It has veered off course on occasion.
It has refocused and become better.
It has motivated, inspired and uplifted people.
It has forged hundreds of lifelong friendships.
It has made people feel safe.
It has made people feel confident in themselves, their abilities and their bodies.
It has resulted in marriage.
It has helped make people all round happier, more peaceful, more giving, more caring, and more fulfilled.
Our community did these things. Our community does these things. Damn I am so incredibly proud of the community we have built. There truly aren’t many like it.
Stu.
PS – I had a rough morning. Big boy pants down at the owners corp management office. This article today, combined with a meeting with my smallest group/community here at the gym, Shannon and Kristie, helped remind me of what is most important and what is our priority. Our community.
If you‘d like to join our community we’d absolutely love to have you. Just reach out. Here. Via our website. On the Socials. Wherever you can find CrossFit Cranbourne or me, Stuart Cunningham.
Come down and be a part of something amazing. We are way more than just your regular CrossFit gym.
Recent Comments