Magnetic Me Episode 51  Shine ON All Year With The Support Of An Enthusiastic Community

Hi, I'm Marcie Robinson. It's only a few days before Christmas as I record this, so I appreciate you showing up today if you do so right after publishing this episode. It's a busy time of the year for so many of us. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, but you celebrated Hanukkah just recently, or you'll be celebrating Kwanza this year, my wish is the same that your holidays were or will be happy and blessed. And I hope that in a year with so much difficulty for so many and the challenges we're still facing, this time is one of respite and reflection and hope for new possibilities in the year to come. 

On my last Facebook live, our discussion surrounded having and giving support. I've been thinking about that a lot lately! It plays such a valuable role to have people in your life that you just know believe in you and have your back. And it makes it so easy to give back to others when you have friends and family and co-workers that do that. Having a base of people in your neighborhood who supports and cares about each other makes it so much nicer to live wherever you live. One of the places where you can find support is in your community. I grew up in a small community where for better or worse, everybody knew everybody else. Sometimes it seemed like other people knew what you did before you actually knew yourself. I remember not always appreciating that for what it was. So, yes, I admit there were times when I wasn't fond of growing up like that. Everyone had an opinion, and it was rare that you didn't know what other people thought of you or your actions. So when I reached adulthood and left, I never wanted to live in a place like that again. But over the years, and with the space that putting time between events creates in your mind, I started understanding why I missed the feeling of being home. Because for all the people I figured made my life difficult there, there were many more who were a built-in support system that made it so much better.

That's what community is about. Many people, especially at this time of the year, find themselves missing something or feeling alone because they don't have the support they need. In a year where travel or getting together is now not suggested at all, we're all likely to hop on zoom or phone calls with our people. But it's possible that a lot of us might not have a family. It could be that your family isn't clustered in the same area. Or that your family doesn't get along well. And I know people who don't socialize a lot, so they don't have many friends to call up or check in with. With the lack of even work socialization or being able to gather in public places like we're so used to, that could make your holiday feel empty, indeed.

If you don't have many contacts or people you keep in touch with, but you'd like to have more, it's easier than ever to find a group of like-minded people through, you guessed it, the internet. It may seem like a crazy idea to reach out to people you don't know and can't even be certain they are who they say. I understand if you're a bit hesitant to do that. However, there can be advantages to finding a group of people with a certain shared interest that you can interact with. Of course, you do want to be careful about giving out too much information at once. You know you're not going to be posting a ton of personal details in the group. But it's nice to be in the company of other people interested in the same things you are. It can be a fairly commitment-free way to spend time communicating ideas and even finding solutions or working together on something if necessary. After all, you can pop in whenever it suits you time-wise; you can find information and participate in any discussions or offer support in the ways you might be gifted in.

No, it might not always be like the communities you may see in a TV Christmas movie, for instance. At least I've yet to find a neighborhood or a group quite like that. Wouldn't it be nice, though, if you could? Usually, though, at least a couple of people make it worth being there, so let's take a closer look at why having a group on the internet or otherwise to act as a base for a common interest or cause is important. It can be a fun way to spend some time and feel like you're part of something larger. 

DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNITIES

First of all, there is a community for everybody. So it doesn't matter what your particular interests are; there will be places like Facebook groups, for example, that you can join and see what it's all about. Each one will be a little different, of course, but there are communities for computer nerds, for moms, bakers, you name it, you'll find a group there.

But of course, you can't spend all your time connected to the internet either. Being in groups like that can be a bit addicting. That can cause depression, especially if you tend to get too heavily into discussions and fights break out. You don't necessarily want online surfing to take the place of everyday activities, especially when we're not in pandemic mode.

And once covid is dealt with, and the experts tell us it's okay to start getting out more and interacting with people as normal, it would be good to transition. Meaning online communication won't be your only form of keeping in touch. You might want to start networking or feeling like part of the world again. Humans need that interaction with other humans.

Here are a few other places you might want to look for some uplifting support.

•  Your neighborhood where you live is a community, of course.
• Your workplace or school is also a community. Taking part in organizations, activities, or functions, there is a good way to contribute.
• You may support a sports team or love the work of a certain celebrity. A group of fans certainly qualifies.
• Maybe you share an interest with a number of people, and you have a group dedicated to sharing a hobby like a cooking club, a book club, or another type of club.
• Perhaps you volunteer for an organization that helps worthy causes or a charity. Good for you! That's a community too.
• Your circle of family and friends is probably your closest association.
• If you attend a church, a synagogue, a mosque, you've got that fellowship in common with all who attend as well.

We may have many different places where we belong, and that's a good thing. Because belonging to a place or group of people who gather...be it in person or these days remotely, can help us; 

• Feel connected to something important. Be honest, don’t you like it if you can participate in a feel-good moment? It’s pretty nice to have a sense of belonging and togetherness.
• It can empower and motivate us to create positive change in our lives. When we see somebody else doing hard things, we know we can do it too. It can even get us out of our comfort zone and make it easier to grow. And you’ll often find the help that could come in very handy in a group setting.
• The positive reinforcement you can often find within a community can help you build up some confidence as well. That’s important if you’re getting out of your comfort zone. And knowing you have a place to come and get support if it all goes wrong somehow is equally as important, it can even serve as a learning tool.
• Allows us to build relationships with people who have something in common with us. It's a great way to socialize for those who find the idea difficult, especially those uncomfortable with mingling in person. Knowing right away you’ll have something to talk about can cut down on anxiety.
• It can provide an outlet for growth and openings to more ideas for exploration and community advancement or self-improvement. You can learn so much by being part of a group like this and it can help you find the resources you need and expand into other areas.
• In business or charity associations, it helps get things done and can help progress important matters. You might have strengths others don’t and be able to offer them to other projects and places you may have an interest in being involved with.
• It’s a natural outlet for your finding and growing your passion, expertise, and discovering inspiration. 

In general, it's just nice to know there are people out there who have our backs or are working for the common good of something. Knowing who your neighbors are and who runs the local coffee shop or other businesses is vital to our neighborhoods. It's great to support those people and places. And the familiarity and connection we build up with those people and places that we like help us feel more secure. These reasons can all lead to us having a feeling of contentment and well-being in our lives. And we know that feeling less stressed and less lonely are hot commodities these days!

OUR NEW VERSION OF POWERED UP MANIFESTING

So if you're a person who aspires to be part of a place like that where there's a friendly group of people who are willing to help each other with a listening ear or a few words of great advice, I hear ya. I'm that way too. Or maybe you want to explore some fascinating ideas or learn something. I'm right there with ya. I love working with people towards a goal, whether it's their personal goal or a common one. 

That's why I'm especially inviting you as a Magnetic Me listener to be part of my community of amazing manifestors if it resonates with you. Let me explain in a bit more detail.

I admit, I'm not a guru, and that's fine with me; I've never had that as a goal. I started coaching as a part-time activity once I'd had some success with the Law of Attraction, and the people around me started to notice. They just wanted to know what this manifesting jazz was about and asked me to teach them. That's when I had some pretty big stuff going on, so I had a bit of credibility. Then I developed a medical issue; it turned out to be nothing too serious, thank goodness. But it made me sick enough at work that I couldn't do my job anymore. No matter what treatment the doctors tried, it wasn't working. It was the nature of that job that was the problem. I couldn't be in that work environment anymore. Then somebody in my life at the time pointed out to me that just maybe it was happening that way for a reason. I wasn't certified to coach right then, so I decided to find a school I liked and do that, and I started charging people as a professional coach after that. That was all quite a while ago now. But as I've been moving more and more of my business online, I've been working from home, and I started feeling like I wanted to build a community of people around me who really get manifesting. Who live and breathe it as much as I do. 

So I discovered a few things about that. Lots of people like the idea of manifesting, that's great! I look at manifesting as a huge opportunity to help yourself live the life you're supposed to live. But one of the things I've learned is that not everybody lives and breathes it like I do, and that's okay too. Not everybody is as committed to it as I am, but a lot are willing to learn. But when I started searching for communities like the one I wanted to build, mostly so I could learn a few things about how to have a community like that, I have to say; I haven't found one like it yet. A few years ago, I joined some communities on Facebook, for instance, from big names in this field that you might even recognize. I'm not naming any names, mind you. The way everybody else runs their FB groups is just fine; there's no judgment here. But... there are a few things that surprised me.

First of all, it's great to put your name on a community. But if I'm gonna put my name on it, I'm gonna be in it as much as I can be. That's something that's lacking in a lot of those groups. It's kinda like, hey, there's an initial, thanks for joining video, message, or a post from the person whose name is up there. Usually, it's a moderator that posts to thank you for joining. I'll sometimes get a notification that I've been tagged with 20 other people who've joined about the same time I have, but I've hardly ever seen the big name the group is created for in there. Maybe once or twice a year when they're promoting something to their fans, but otherwise, if you wanna hear from them, you've gotta be on their email list, which is great too. But not really why I joined the group. Not to mention that by the time you're a guru, you might not even be writing your own emails; maybe you read them after the copywriter's finished with them for approval, but it kinda loses the personal touch.

Are ya still with me?

Another thing I've noticed is that there's a definite lack of help in the groups. Yes, there are moderators, but people are mostly left to post their inquiries and have other group members answer the questions. I'm always looking for a bit more Q&A, hopefully from the person whose name is on the FB page; I'm lookin' for their wisdom. And sometimes I see group members giving lots of opinions and their advice and even fighting with each other on occasion. What? I just glide past those posts.

Also, 90 percent of the posts are from group members posting inspirational quotes and pics with the celebrity, or just appearances the celebs made, which are nice and maybe inspirational to some. But I'm still lookin' for a bit more.

Is it just me?

So, I've been trying out this community thing for the last two and a half, three years with my clients and some students as a side project, and I think I've come up with a good basis for a FB community which I'd like to launch...mmm, right about now.

So, if you decide to join my Powered UP Manifesting Community, I'll be focusing on you getting a quality experience. I'm not there just for adding people. Numbers are great, but I'd rather have a group of 10 really engaged people who really get something from being there than a thousand people who could join or leave the group, and it wouldn't matter to them, so here's what you can expect.

• I'm gonna be checking in every day, once a day. I'll answer any questions I get in the community to the best of my ability. I'm not going to leave you without an answer. But for the sake of respecting your time, my time, and everybody else's, if I've answered that question before, it'll be in a place for commonly asked questions, and I'll direct you to it. In the future, as I get to know more people and their experience, I may decide to add a few members who are really great with others and have a lot of knowledge and experience as a moderator.
• I may even start doing a weekly Q & A as the group grows and the topics expand.
• If you need prayers or good vibes, and you post it, I'm personally going to take the time to create space for you in my daily ritual. I'll do that with your intention and what you want to unite energetically and find each other. Or for the person, you want those good vibes for to be united with what they need.
• The main focus will be on my free content. For instance, if you have questions or want to discuss the topic from the latest Magnetic Me Podcast episode, this is a place to do it. 
• I'll also be guiding you through all the freebies you can find links to in the group or on my website so you can benefit from them. There may be some mini pieces of training to go along with those things as well. I'll be adding new content as things progress. 
• There's going to be members-only content as in videos for manifesting techniques, for instance. I intend to build a library of them for you as a member so you can know where to find techniques and exercises and get an explanation on how to use them. I would love to have a new one each week and for all of us to work on that one technique together. And also to post your progress or get help if needed. I want you to progress and get results, so this group is a place for you to show what you've been doing and get some kudos too. I like building up people.
• There will also be other members-only content like the Fresh Start Inception Challenge that's already posted as a unit in the group. You can do that on your own any time, and I'll love to hear about your experience with that too. 
• You can also make requests for certain techniques if I don't have them up here. You can also request lives on Law of Attraction topics, so I know what you want to see or learn about.
• I'm thinking about ideas for having a watch party on FB; you have any? Let me know!
• I'm also going to make certain options available within the group only. So, for instance, I'm just about to wrap up a FB Live series. It's been broadcast from my FB profile. After a couple of weeks during the series, I'm deleting those videos from my FB profile. The reason for that is that after I do the videos each week, I open the cart to a special on a product that I'm selling, like my affirmative energy-boosting challenge for a short time, 72 hours. I hear that it would be great to make that video series available to my Powered UP members year-round with an option to purchase the challenge for a special price at any time. What do you think of that? Just because I love you being part of that group!
• Not only that, but I love contests, how about you? If you do, there's going to be a contest every single month during the year. The prize will be different every month. And there may even be an activity involved to be entered. So, a prize could be a gift card or a coupon to discount one of my digital products. Or I might give the winner a digital version of The Affirmative Energy Boosting Challenge for free. I might give the winner an all-access, free month in my paid membership group? Sound good? Well, the only way you might win one of those is to be part of the group. 
• I'll also be communicating with you about live masterclasses and events I'm holding or what's coming up. You may even get some sneak peeks at a few things in development!
• I also have a free gift that you'll get when you join, so I'd love for you to have that and to enjoy it. It's meant to help you create one habit in particular that can really add so much goodness into your life. 
• And I'm not ruling out random acts of kindness on any day! Think about that. =)For instance, I might have some lives and spin a wheel for sharing or great answers, and you might win a prize. 
• There may be a team challenge or two coming up in 2021 for different things. 
• Basically, I love giving out bonuses for doing inner work or helping out, so there will be lots of that. 

Overall, I want this group to be sort of like that community that you might see in those TV movies, where people take care of each other. They're not afraid to help a stranger or enlighten someone or offer a listening ear or a strong shoulder. I want people to grow and to experience good in our community. I want it to be an opportunity for us to work together toward a common goal and help each other out with some personal ones if we can. Basically, I want it to be a place for all members to feel heard and to feel supported and fulfilled as we strive and succeed. And with it all happening in a safe space with no judgment, where you feel secure. I can't promise perfection, but I can promise you'll belong!

IT'S GREAT FOR THE BEST MANIFESTING PROTOCOL

And since the Law of Attraction sends us the things that are on the same frequency we're resonating at, imagine all the good that would do if we had a whole group resonating together! If you have good people around you sending and receiving those high vibes that we all wanna have, then you're likely to rise to that level when you're there and you may even take that out into the world. So let's make it a place for people to resonate with love and light and all the good stuff. So if you wanna join this brand spanking new version of the Powered UP Manifesting Community, click the link in the notes, and I'll get you set up ASAP.

In the meantime, whether or not you recognize Christmas or another holiday, please be safe, and warm, and blessed. And of course, remember to Get Your Shine ON. The world is always a better place when you do! Until next time, take care, and I'll be thinking about you. 

Thanks to Kevin MacLeod and incompetech.com for the use of the music, "On My Way," in our podcast episodes. You can find more musical selections at www.incompetech.com.