I am a very lucky person in very many ways. I am aware of that and I thank my lucky stars every single day. Not only was I born into a very loving and large and connected family, but I have, in my 40+ years on this earth, gathered up a goodly amount of amazing friends. And believe me when I say that this network of family and friends is definitely not something I take for granted. Ever.
The fact that I continuously meet remarkable new people on this life's journey is one of the biggest surprises of my adult experience -- and the very thing I tell young adults when asked about life's great surprises. Really? Incredible people just keep showing up? Yup.
One weekend this past year was a great example of that. A couple of hundred women all gathered in one room to listen, learn and share ideas at the bi-annual MomCom Austin event. I was invited to share the stage with my dear friend Carrie Contey and together, we spoke on the subject of 'building your tribe.' We told the story of how our group of seven women came together -- to work, share, learn, inspire and support each other through this thing called life. Though we initially came together in the name of work to find more ways to stay in our creative flow in the midst of early parenting, what we've become to each other over the past eight years has been more than we could ever have imagined. And though we came together intentionally, we had no idea we were forming a group that would still be together this many years later. And we had no idea we were forming a group that has been and continues to be so instrumental to all of us, personally and professionally, and that we see now will likely last our whole lives long. This group is our mindspring, our think tank, our wall for bouncing off ideas and our safety net when it's time to make a big leap.
This group makes us all think, lucky us, for sure.
With hindsight as our guide, Carrie and I prepared for our talk by pondering the things that made the group work. The things that continuously bond and inspire us, not only as a connected group, but individually, the things that bring us to our very best selves. Every day. And the things that make us feel fortunate. Every day. And the things that have made it work and last and be the very essence of goodness that we all have come to count on and dive into when we need a good kick.
So, here, in 10 easy steps, are some ideas for creating your own tribe. To inspire you, comfort you and make your life even luckier than it currently is...
10 Ways to Create Your Own Tribe...
- Start small and stay small. Add too many people and you won't feel obliged to show up because you'll feel you won't be missed if you're not there. Though it feels strange to keep it tight, if you open it too big, it won't be sustainable. This isn't a play group, this is a think tank. So, more isn't necessarily merrier. This might be the hardest part to explain to people, but truly, the thing we all think has kept it going all these years.
So, go on. Make your own tribe. Your mind, your work, your family and the world will be better off for it. That I guarantee.
This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post in conjunction with our women's conference, "The Third Metric: Redefining Success Beyond Money & Power," which took place in New York on June 6, 2013. To read all of the posts in the series and learn more about the conference, click here. Join the conversation on Twitter #ThirdMetric.