How a Tribe can boost your health, your relationship with your husband and your overall well-being.

Call it a Clan

Call in a Network

Call it a Tribe

Call it a Family.

Whatever you call it, whoever you are. You need one. 

 Growing up, I was on numerous sports teams.  We practiced together, ate together, roomed together, traveled together, stayed up late and got up early....together. Early on, I learned the benefit of connection and how helpful that is for a woman to feel heard. In my teens and college years, the team aspect of community was great, but immaturity and insecurity of body image, can cause young women to compete with each other instead of uplift and empower one another. The beauty of age is that, with maturity, there is  so much more harmony and growth taking place with women that belong to a tribe. So much so  that it has become sooooooo apparent to me that this innate need for women to "belong" and feel heard is, in my opinion,  a must for every female.   

Since we all experience different walks of life, our tribe will most likely be made of women who share similar experiences.  When my kids were little, I was in a moms group. We'd swap parenting stories that help us through those tough toddler years. As my kids got a little older, I joined a bible study with 5 other moms who were in the same season of life. 22 years later, we still meet for dinner every month and share our stories of faith, family, loss, and heartache. There is an unwavering bond that has continued all these years. 

What I have learned over the years is that we have a deep desire to connect and to be heard. We want to know that our voice matters.......that someone is willing to share space with us......and that others are there to laugh with, cry with, pray for and encourage us on our journey, wherever that may be.  We may be battling cancer,  mourning the loss of a child or parent, or trying to improve our fitness. Finding like minded women with similar goals will help us get through.

Having belonged to numerous tribes over the years, (sports teams, moms groups, network marketing groups and fitness groups) I've seen how much the community aspect  of sisterhood helps us. I am sooooooo convinced that having a tribe will benefit your life, I've compiled my top 5 reasons why you should have one too. 

1. They understand you. They can help you when you struggle and they will be your biggest cheerleaders when you succeed. When you join a community, a sisterhood, a place where like-minded individuals gather, you enter a sacred supportive relationship with the other members. You’ve found each other on purpose and God isn’t going to let you miss this opportunity to connect. 

2. You can drop the title of being a lone-wolf, have a place you can call home, and a group of people you can call your family. No matter what the tribe of like-minded people is related to, I can guarantee you will create bonds and friendships like never before. These are your people. The best way to get through a season of life or a challenge is to do it with friends. When you start a weight loss plan, it's so much easier to quit when no one is watching. Having friends going through the same pain will keep you motivated and having friends waiting for you to show up will hold you accountable. Likewise,  a good friend who knows you are trying to lose weight will not try to tempt you with unhealthy food or drink. They will walk beside you and encourage you to make healthy choices. 

3. The other members will fire you up! This is soooo true. When motivation is low, nothing gets you moving like a little friendly competition. I lead an online bootcamp, and one of the challenges each week is a step challenge. You may feel good about getting 10,000 steps in a day and then you see a tribe member post a 30,000 step count. The bar has been raised and then you realize that you can do more. Similarly, as an entrepreneur, when I surround myself with strong women who are accomplishing a lot, I am motivated to forge ahead myself. I am constantly challenged to do more/ be more and succeed more!!!

 4. Female Friendships can help your relationship with your spouse/ significant other.  As women, we have a need to talk. Sometimes we share all about our day, and sometimes we vent. Guys needs our waaaaay different than ours.  Their need to chat is so much less than ours. I think female friendships meet our need to connect so that when we are with our spouses, we have less expectations. Less expectations to meet those emotional needs means less frustration and hurt. Men cannot meet all of our needs. Period. Having female friends to connect with allows you to enjoy your spouse or S/O on a different level.  I enjoy seeing a chic flick with my girlfriends on occasion. Walt isn't much of a movie guy, let alone a chic flick guy, so doing those things with girl friends means our date nights are more enjoyable for him. 

5. You can collaborate with the other members and create an even bigger impact on the world. If your missions and values are aligned, chances of your success instantly double when you work together. Each of us has gifts and talents that make us unique. While we can make an impact individually, imagine what we can do if we collaborate with others who are better at certain things. Every successful organization has people with different skills.  I'm very outgoing and social, however, I'm not as organized as other friends. I'm creative, but not timely.  Working with others who excel where we are lacking makes us better.

Whatever you do, and whatever season of life you are in, your life can be so much sweeter when you do it with friends. If you feel lonely, lack intimacy with your friends, need some encouragement or support, reach out. I know a great TRIBE that can help you live your BEST life. 

Do you have a tribe? Tell me about it. How has your tribe been helpful to you? 

Yours in Health,

Ruth xoxo