How do you Rebuild a Community through Rebirth

How do you Rebuild (Rebirth) a Community

Rebirths are not limited to individual people who seek to renew important aspects of their lives like beliefs or personal goals. It is available to larger collectives like communities and societies. I agree that change is difficult, thus in seeking to change the mindsets of groups instead of singular entities, it will be critical not to leave any one person out or to feel disenfranchised. The goal is to give everyone voice and everyone a sense of worth and belonging.

Singular voices tend to get drowned out in overpopulated bands and begin to feel alienated in many circumstances. And when a person is unheard, they (like communities as a whole) start to feel resentment, exclusion, and cynicism. Then they lose hope. A Kind Rebirth seeks to overcome exclusion. It seeks to change stereotypes and the seemingly unchangeable identity rolls many people have garnered. The objective is to empower individuals to reinvent themselves and recreate whatever positive embodiment they choose. Once the lion spirit of a community is rebuilt, their pride is restored. Combining a humble nature, a recaptured self-worth, and the will to let go of the detrimental self-loathing of past static roles, we can see changes and growth in the Unity of the Community.

To create the identity rebirth of a community will not be easy. If it were, someone would have already done so, right? Well, in order to start the movement, I wanted to lead with a prospective framework. This framework serves twofold. First, the framework is to help set the lenses and perspectives we want to see achieved and with that, we then can create the visible outcomes we need to gauge measurement. Second, just like a literal frame (like one of a house), we need it to be present to serve as and support the foundation and infrastructure of our proverbial house.

The Framework of a Rebirthed Community

There are five elements to rebirthing a community and the support it needs to persist. The first element, Instilling a Renewed Attitude and Spirit in the Community. Communities experience rebirth by releasing the old and damaging views that have been collected over a long period of time. But to abandon, like to destroy, it needs to be leveled out by the conscious and collective choice to rebuild, to facilitate change. In everyday practice, communities need to create vision boards (literally or figuratively) to gather and reflect on what old patterns must be eliminated. They must learn to create more ritual events (ritual in the sense of happening more often) to celebrate the renewed spirit of community unity. While these are in place, there needs to be consistent sessions of restoration continuity. In other words, change is useless if it is not monitored and consistently reviewed and adjusted as needed. Let’s measure the outcome by how well a community can shift from division and past trauma to healing and reinvention. The key is to be reborn with compassion and shared purpose.

The next area speaks to Rebirth the Attitude and Action behind Social Justices and Reconciliation. Too many of our less affluent neighborhoods struggle with too many acts of violence and other crimes. I wish I could save them all by snapping my fingers, but it’s not that easy and this is where it starts. We should consider reframing the entire idea of justice, not as a punitive action, but as a path to rebirth relationships. It cannot be done overnight. It has to constantly shape over years. Lawmakers and law enforcers need a place at this table because in the end, the goal is to chip away at the barriers that block us from reaching a more civil humanity. We need both sides of the story to develop deeper levels of empathy. Collective empathy helps groups stop separating themselves from others and placing groups at odds. This is paramount to recreate a future together.

Rebirthing Leadership and Leadership Organization is next and seems pretty straightforward, but with this caveat – these leaders who seek to rebirth change in a community may want to consider understanding the difference between old patterns and the need for meaningful change. These leaders should value the model of self-reflection to regard and acknowledge unsavory events in the past but are capable of demonstrating why that recognition is so important if seeking travel down different, more positive paths in the future. The acknowledgment of and the duty to reinvent the past is not failure, it’s necessary for the evolutionary cycle of rebirth.

The next area speaks to Rebirth Personal and Interpersonal Healing. There is no one who has not experienced conflict in their lives. It’s natural. But there are some conflicts that happen in our day-to-day existence that could be avoided. There may be some underlining cosmic work at play, but remember, our intention to do good and to avoid conflicts with others is part of that supreme plan as well. That said, how do you promote and foster a healthy community with positive relationships? I wish here too that I had one formula that can be used by anyone for everyone. Unfortunately, I do not. But we start with the most basic securities to well-being: 1) by addressing basic needs like food, water, shelter and education; 2) by promoting and making healthier lifestyles more accessible; 3) by finding different avenues to health screenings and care to all around you; and 4) always showing support of those trying to find a better way in life. When a person focuses on self-improvement and has the support of others, studies have shown it to improve mental and emotional well-being, stronger relationships, increases self-awareness (and the awareness of and your impacts on those around you – your community), and helps to better align your goals and create the ability to align yours with others with the goal of unity in mind.

The last frame focuses on the ability to Change the Narrative of Your Community. Most of the people in a shared community (not limited by geographic location, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc.) share the same values, stories and narratives. If the goal is to change the narratives of our community groups, to step out of the box groups have been packaged in, we must balance ecological awareness, financial literacy, equalize social justice, and change our perspective of individualism to that of collectivism. A Rebirth of a community is not about escaping or separating from the community we are in, but to renew and re-source our strength and placement in it.

We have more power to change than we know. We are never stuck in the rut of the hamster’s wheel when we open our eyes to the change possibility inherent in each of us. Change is not taking a loss, it’s revitalization. How we meet in each moment together builds our future together. Let’s do it as a collective and let’s do it wisely.

Stay mindful…

Rebirths