Community

Building Heart-Centred Community

July 20, 2021
3 min read

What does it mean for a person (or a community for that matter) to be heart-centred, and how does this differ from being head-centred?

Anatomically speaking, the human heart is the central energetic connection point in our body; in fact, its magnetic field is about 5000 times stronger than the brain. It is said that the heart's energy can reach up to three feet outside of the physical body and can be detected in another person sitting nearby via an electrocardiogram (ECG).

Why is this important when building community? Getting people to work together is a challenge at the best of times, and even more so when collaborating online. A common mistake that online communities make is being overly head-centred. I'm sure you've stumbled into Facebook groups or Discord servers with message boards full of back and forth debate and unrequested information dumps. For this reason and more, interactions in these communities tend to remain superficial and deeper connections are rarely formed.

In contrast, a heart-centred community has a magnetic quality to it. Such a community is united by a shared purpose and common set of values. Authenticity and connection are the norm for interactions, while ideological debates and power-games are seen as counter-productive. Just like the human heart, a heart-centred community has a reach that extends far and wide; perhaps even powerful enough to encompass the Earth!

Members of a heart-centred community are focused on amplifying the good that is present within each of us, while compassionately acknowledging and respecting the shadow sides of our shared-humanity. They acknowledge that the process of personal growth can be challenging and messy at times. Therefore, the best way to grow is by holding space for one another and sharing stories to let others know that they are not alone.

Within this community, we proudly aspire to embody these qualities and infuse our shared values into what we do. The values of compassion, respect, and honesty. These words undoubtedly mean different things to different people, so I will do my best to bring them to life for you.

Compassion asks you to put yourself in another person's shoes. As soon as you do this, you open the doors kindness, empathy and understanding. Suddenly their struggles and challenges become clearer and you are able to offer support from a loving and non-judgmental place.

Respect is essential for creation meaningful relationships. When you respect another, you meet them dignity and listen whole-heartedly. It involves acknowledging and valuing their unique qualities and perspectives, and demonstrating a level of consideration and concern for their well-being.

Honesty asks you to be sincere and truthful in your words, actions, and emotional reactions. It requires you to consciously take responsibility for your words and actions and how they may affect others. This necessitates a willingness to be open and vulnerable, while still maintaining healthy boundaries.

It is important to remember that these values apply both to yourself and others. This means the value of compassion is extended both to yourself and to others. And the same goes for the other two values. The reason for this simple: the way you treat others is a reflection of how you treat yourself, and the way you treat yourself is a reflection of how you treat others.

Living by these values is by no means easy. Fully embodying the value of honesty could be a lifelong pursuit. For this reason, we consider these to be aspirational community values, and I simply invite you to set the intention to align your words and actions to them while in this community space. That is all.

Similar posts

Oooo... That one looks interesting.

join our life design community

Join an international community of self-growth enthusiasts where you can enrol on courses, collaborate with others and make friends along the way.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Free to join
Friendly & supportive
Gain access to courses