An important aspect of the vision for The New Narrative has always been to build it out as a community.
From our very first events, we did what we could to facilitate discussion and interaction, to hopefully create some connections and let people get to know each other.
It’s an unfortunate reality that we live in a loneliness-inducing world.
We often find ourselves working for the greater portions of our day, often in individualistic ways and in a culture that encourages individualistic goals.
As we get older, it becomes more and more complicated to meet new people. For some of us with lifestyle interests and choices that vary from the norm, finding the right people can be even more difficult still.
All of the above would affect some people more than others, but finding ways to create regular gatherings of thoughtful and open people in settings that don’t require the purchase of food or alcohol can be an important source of interaction and opportunity to meet new people.
Prior to the pandemic, we put a lot of focus on hosting regular events built around storytelling and discussion. These were structured as opportunities for people to come together and get to know each other on more intimate and relatable terms than might happen otherwise.
Going forward, we’d love to eventually create groups for mutual support that would facilitate growth and empowerment for all of us.
No matter what the specifics of the event or interaction are, we genuinely hope that real friendships can emerge from the events we produce.
This can all go a level deeper too.
Many of us struggle with certain aspects of our lives, sometimes out in the open, but other times are hidden.
This could be depression, anxiety, internalized self-hatred, or even trauma.
While this community might not have all the answers, having a community of supportive people around you can be a game-changer.
Whether it’s subtle positive reinforcement, a more explicit partnership for improvement, or even just people to dialogue with, this can all pay positive dividends.
Building a community that can offer assistance to members in need when it comes up can also be incredibly valuable.
In our society of fragmented family bonds and a weak social safety net, taking care of each other is going to be key, starting now, and even more so as we get older.
It may take time to coalesce and for the real fruits of this community to sprout, but this is part of the long-term vision for The New Narrative.
We hope it’s an intention that everybody who gets more deeply involved brings with them too.
Thanks,
Nathan Young