Someone asked me a question about communities of support that has been on my mind all week long.

“How do I find people who can receive me as deeply and empathically as I can receive them?”

I know intimately the sense of loneliness and longing beneath questions like this.

Our own personal growth usually means we’re actively increasing our capacity for empathic listening and deep meaningful connections.

We’re often expanding our ability to see and know ourselves and others.
We’re starting to see new options through a lens of possibility, instead of one of hopelessness or helplessness.

However, this same growth and healing sometimes also increases the divide between ourselves and others, especially when either our growth paths diverge, or they aren’t as interested in change as we might be.

As you find yourself healing your past, melting your defenses and becoming more available to yourself and others in heart-connected ways, you may be longing to find others on a similar path.  

If joining a community of people dedicated to expanding their own capacities for empathy, love, and connection appeals to you, you may want to check out my membership program, find a local practice group through the Center for Nonviolent Communication, or join my free Wednesday call to meet others on a similar journey.  
Want to hear the conversation sparked by this questions?  Listen to the full podcast here, or jump to the question directly using these show notes:

Show notes:
(0:00) Intro
(1:20) How do you ask a group facilitator to grant airtime to members fairly?
(20:45) How do I have others listen to me how I’m listening to them?
(43:13) How do I find people with the same mindset I can connect to?
(49:36) How do I ask the people who matter for feedback without sugarcoating?
(52:25) How do I communicate my need to connect and feel heard in the moment more than finding a solution?
(56:35) Outro

How do you build a community of support around yourself?  I’d love to know!  Leave a comment below.