Within us all is a craving to belong. I don’t think any person goes through life saying, “I wish I was all alone.” That being said, community is a very important aspect to a person’s life. Of all the groups of people I have associated with, the LIFE business community, created by Orrin Woodward, George Guzzardo and five other leadership masterminds has to be the most special.

From the time I was young I was connected to a community. It started at a young age where I associated with reading buddies, intramural sports, summer camps and rec leagues. Then it moved to study groups, varsity athletics, volunteer projects and social networking. From there it moved to employment groups, college athletics, bar league softball and winter rec sports. There has never been a time in my life where I wasn’t associated with some type of community group. While it was enjoyable and a great learning experience in the moment, it became very overwhelming because I was spinning plates trying to commit to so many different organizations. It also seemed that most of the groups I belonged to were for entertainment purposes and added very little value to my future.

It wasn’t until I was introduced to the LIFE business that I found a real community that added tremendous value to my life!

I began associating at weekly meetings with people who had a common vision that aligned with a similar purpose to mine. These people were so different than what I was used to; positive, uplifting, motivated, loving and servant men and women. It was a culture shock when I first got around them because I wasn’t used to this type of environment. I was always so used to being around gossip, negativity and selfishness that I didn’t know if I should even trust this group. But it didn’t take long for me to adjust because in the process of figuring out if these people were really real, I was developing an addiction to the environment.

My addiction and craving turned into passion where I began to fall in love with the LIFE community.

For the first time in my life I had found my sense of belonging. Almost every other organization I was associated with prior made me adjust to who they were and in the LIFE business community I could finally discover who I was and be accepted for who I was while making personal changes in the process. In George Guzzardo’s article, Association, the 3rd C he says, “A community like this helps clarify our purpose. Associating with those who have a high standard of performance builds greater commitment to learning and changing.” I didn’t realize how much I needed to change and grow until I associated with people who were so much further along in the journey. I just wanted to model their character, servant heart and leadership skills.

I never could have imagined in my life I would be blessed to join a community like the LIFE business. It has given me proof that this connection was truly God ordained.

Most communities I was used to being a part of left spirituality out. In fact, the only time I remember bringing God into my prior associations was when I was playing college basketball. Right before every game in the locker room my coach would get us in a circle  and we would all hold hands and say a prayer as a team. That was the first time I had experienced the word of God in a community setting. While the LIFE business doesn’t claim to be a religious organization, Orrin Woodward and the founders believe that God’s hand has blessed our community and by His grace and love we have been given a gift to share that blessing with others. And in the process, many people will discover and develop a deeper relationship with their Creator. I couldn’t imagine going through life without this community. I have been blessed with many friends and mentors who I love dearly and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world and I don’t believe there is anything else out there that compares to the LIFE community. I encourage you, if you are looking for that sense of belonging that has been the missing link in all your other associations, you will find it here in the LIFE business!

God Bless,

Kristen