This month, I’ve been exploring the idea of helping individuals collectively form a ‘positive community’ and making more meaningful connections. The benefits of both of these endeavors are abundant, including a lower crime rate, better mental health, increased support, and less substance use/abuse, among others. A sense of positive community and making meaningful connections are formed through a variety of ways including shared identity, shared purpose, common objective, shared interests/passions, and common behavior.
So, where do you begin in your journey toward finding your community? There are several opportunities to do this and, thanks to the magic that is the internet and its unmatched way of connecting us to others, we can find those opportunities from the comfort of our own toilets……er, couches. Here are some examples of websites to check out and peruse where your community may be:
This website touts that it will “create possibilities” for you to learn new things, find support, get out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and pursue your passion. To start exploring the groups offered on this site, you have to choose what you’re into, meet people who share those interests or passions, and engage in those activities to increase a sense of community and connection. Group options are vast on this site, ranging from groups focused on certain demographics such as women, Las Vegas locals, and LGBTQ+ to groups focused on ultimate trivia and discussions on self-help.
While this website focuses heavily on events such as live music, pup crawls, and the nightclub scene, it also showcases local events and groups such as social brunch gatherings, entrepreneurial networking, and classes on breathwork and womb healing. These events are often free, and even when there is a fee involved, it’s typically nominal. What’s a better way to spend a few bucks than to challenge yourself out of your comfort zone and possibly form some long-lasting connections with a like-minded person?
This event website is rather new to me, and it appears to have many of the same benefits as the aforementioned sites. The layout of this website makes it very easy to sort through the categories that appeal to you. One cool feature is that it categorizes events by specific area of Clark County such as North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Las Vegas as well as highlights events taking place in nearby cities such as Bullhead City, Victorville, and Palm Springs.
No introduction needed. This is a feature of Facebook that is often overlooked, especially since it seems adults younger than 25 don’t use Facebook, so they’re potentially missing out. While Facebook may not be the sexiest social media option these days, there are still millions of users who use this platform to post their events and groups, so don’t discount it just yet. There are quite a few locally established groups here that focus on connecting people in Las Vegas proper such as Locals Love Vegas group to more niche groups focused on specific areas of Clark County such as Northwest Las Vegas Women’s Social Meetup and Moms of Southwest Las Vegas.
The next step is to PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE. Find and commit to attending at least one event (maybe find 5 you’d like to attend and rank them based on their level of importance or relevance), and then sign up. If it’s available to you, maybe even coax a friend to join you. Taking opportunities and challenging ourselves is scary, no doubt, but in the end, we don’t regret taking those opportunities, but we do regret not taking them when we had the chance. Think about what regrets you will avoid down the road by taking the opportunities you’re afforded today.