The Power of a Group
Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash
Introduction
Belonging to a group forms a big part of our daily lives.
As the author of Ecclesiastes says:
'Two are better than one… If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up!’ (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have an internal desire to belong somewhere. You might desire to belong to a particular circle of friends, a specific team within your company, or somewhere as simple as the local bingo club.
If you think about it hard and long enough, you will realize, most of our lives are spent engaging in group activities.
By default, we are born into a group known as our family. Moving onto preschool, high school, and university, we shall most probably become part of a cheerleading squad, football team, or a sorority/fraternity.
We then enter adulthood and the workforce.
This blog serves as an introduction to our next series: the power of groups. Today, we touch on groups in general. In our future few blogs, we will explore the benefits of therapeutic groups and how it can help you.
What is ‘social connectedness’?
‘Social connectedness’ is to belong to a group or ‘clan.’ It tells you more about yourself and that you belong somewhere. You have a shared sense of purpose, trust, and dependency on one another.
Social connectedness can do wonders for your self-esteem and benefit your mental and physical well-being at the same time.
Studies found that increased social interaction leads to better health and aids in the recovery of social and mental illnesses.
Groups in the workplace
Groups in the workplace have a slightly different focus than social groups. How is it different?
- Workplace groups make dull work more efficient and exciting.
- Different perspectives can generate more bright ideas!
- Several people in the workplace can analyze situations, and when everyone provides feedback, you get 'the brainstorming-effect!' The output of ideas can be fantastic.
- When time is of the essence, working in a group distributes the workload.
- Working as part of a team can teach you necessary development skills such as organization, delegation, communication, how to be a leader/follower, and how to be supportive.
More groups
It is everywhere
When you start thinking about it, groups are everywhere. There can be groups among parents at school, in your community, book clubs, park run groups, online groups, or people who go fly-fishing together …!
Koinonia
The Bible sees ‘being part of a group’ as essential. The word Koinonia, derived from the Greek word κοινωνία, refers to fellowship between Christians, and that we, as children of God, should support and be there for one another.
Jesus himself was the leader of a very distinguished group– the 12 apostles. These men were a great example of fellowship and the actual benefits one can reap when belonging to a group.
Therapeutic groups
Therapeutic groups exist for a variety of mental conditions and addictions. In our next blogs, we will investigate this in more detail.
Conclusion
The A-Team. Ocean’s Eleven. The Rebel Alliance. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
All these groups conjure up different images in our minds, doesn’t it? We were made to be reliant on each other from the day we are born! As babies, we depend on our mothers to care for us, and today, as adults, we still need people to rely on and to support us.
You are most welcome to be part of our LARGEST HEART group! We aim to provide information, support, and hope.
Helen Keller said, 'Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.' Please consider giving a donation to help this group.
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