Sometimes you may feel the need to go run in the forest to find bliss or take a vacation, but with a little bit of ingenuity, there’s no need to take a vacation to find bliss. A little Google search can help you find hidden gems in our own community that help you feel connected.
How blissful is your community?
Have you ever stopped in the middle of your weekly grocery shopping and really gazed at your surroundings? As you are driving or walking through your neighborhood, have you really looked at the homes and the people and the merchants that make up your community?
Do the sounds and sights and colors of the restaurants, stores and fruit stands all seem to blend like a canvas in motion? Or do they clash and wither with ferocity as if trying to compete for your attention and care?
Your community – your neighborhood – thrives on the pulse of its occupants. We are the lifeblood of our local merchants, streets, parks and schools – as they are to us. Are we co-
creating? Co-existing? Or co-dependent?
Only since being a new mom for the second time, do I now see my community around me with new eyes. I see how important my role is to dive in and learn about my surroundings and the people and to introduce it to my children, in order to see how we can be of service and to make that connection.
Being green doesn’t equate solely to our dollar purchases of organic fruits and vegetables – it is a way of life. It’s how we connect and care on an authentic level by the giving of our precious gifts: time, love and service, to make the lifeblood of our neighborhoods strong.
So the next time you’re rushing to make that errand, remember to truly stop and
“smell the roses.” Give a blessing at your local merchant’s by simply smiling and asking the owner how he or she is doing. I’m sure that initially they’ll look at you as if you have two heads, but in the end will feel grateful to feel the connection. After all, isn’t that what community and connecting are all about?
Spring is coming, let’s re connect!
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Lisa St. Hill is an accomplished artist and instructor in fashion, dance and yoga with training from the Fashion Institute of Technology of NYC. A proud mother of two sons, one 22 and one 2 years old, she created the fashionable postpartum corset called My Goddess Wrap, which is featured in Connecticut ‘s largest lifestyle magazine, Serendipity.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributors. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Guest writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.