Does Your Community Inspire You?

January 24, 2008 · Print This Article

Depending on what stage you are in life…raising toddlers…exchanging wits with teenagers…or living on your own, you’ve got goals that you want to achieve. Does your community inspire or hinder you in achieving these goals?

Even if you’re not a real big “planner” there are things in your life you want. Maybe you want a successful home business or you’d like to move to a smaller apartment or house. Perhaps you want to start a new career, learn a new skill or expand your social circle. Whatever it is, where you live likely has a lot to do with the success or even the choice of those goals.

I just read an article by Richard Florida (economist and author of The Rise of the Creative Class) where he comments on an urban center near to my home as having the “opportunity to become a model of a prosperous, sustainable and inclusive region–one where each and every person can fully develop their talents, find work that fulfills their dreams, and connect the further develoment of human creative capabilities to future economic prosperity.”

That may sound like a lot of pie in the sky rhetoric, but I think we sell ourselves short when we brush off such “positive” talk. We live in a country where we celebrate folks who follow their dreams. Sometimes we do too much celebrating of others without taking the action needed to help advance our own aspirations.

It makes such sense to me to include our communities in our quest to reach our personal and professional goals. If you’re not living in a rural town, suburban community or city that inspires you and can support you in your efforts to realize your goals/dreams, then perhaps you need to do something about it…like a good “new urbanist” advocate!

Does your community have good infrastructure and services to support the comfortable and the not so comfortable in their efforts to educate their kids, start a business, find a job, access quality entertainment, recycle waste, protect pristine lands, etc. If not, see what you might be able to do to change things. Get hold of the agenda for your next town or municipal government meeting and make sure to have your say!