October 2014: Community

Download the October 2014 Mandala of the Month

The Oxford Dictionary web site offers this as one of its definitions for “Community”:

A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

This month’s mandala reminds us to acknowledge our place in community…whether it be a physical location or in united fellowship.

As humans we are designed as social creatures. We belong to the largest community on earth as residents of this planet. We tend to forget this. We’ve broken ourselves down into millions of different communities based on:

• nationality
• gender
• hobbies
• ethnicity
• jobs
• religion
• language
• entertainment interests
• team sports
• etc

All of which give us yet another excuse to divide and separate ourselves based on our “communities”. We would be better served by uniting for the greater good of all, embracing and celebrating our differences.

In this day and age of amazing technology, telecommunications, social media, and the like, we actually appear to be even more isolated from each other than ever before. Yes we communicate on our gadgets all day long and yet what are we really saying to each other? Are we making true connections or mere chit chat?

From another perspective, some fear that being part of a community means giving up on our own individuality; that to belong to a community would mean sacrificing our soul in the process.

Our challenge becomes finding a healthy balance between being wholehearted beings in communion with others while allowing for all of us to maintain our individual truths.

Within healthy communities we experience a sense of belonging, support, love, companionship, appreciation, joy, and gratitude…all of which raise the vibration of the community exponentially.

At the heart and soul of all of us, we strive for such an existence on our planet as a whole. As part of that journey, we can make this happen within each of the communities we belong; expanding it outward to eventually include all communities.

Some questions to ponder as we color the October 2014 Mandala of the Month:

• how well do we accept new people to our “community”?
• do we tend to isolate from belonging to a “community” because it appears easier or safer to stay home?
• do we allow ourselves to experience new “communities”, outside of our comfort zones?
• are we open to giving and receiving within “community”?
• do we find it difficult to be accepting of other communities that tend to resist or oppose what our “community” believes in?

For the first time in 3 years, both the Mandala of the Month and the Mandala of the Year have the same message: Community

Happy Coloring!

joyfully, Maureen,
The Mandala lady

http://www.facebook.com/TheMandalaLady
www.twitter.com/TheMandalaLady

Be sure to download Section 10 of the 2014 Mandala of the Year.