Community…Your Surroundings Plays Apart In Who You Are and Who You Will Be!

We all have heard the saying “It Takes A Village”. This statement means many different things to me. It takes a village, says that there are multiple people involved in assisting in grooming you and watching you during the years of your maturing. The interesting thing about our village is that over the years it changes. As you get older, you get to choose your village. Your village turns into your community. The beautiful thing about your community is that it’s a reflection of you.

Over the years my community has grown, it's like a beautiful garden with different types of flowers that all reflect me in some way, shape or form.  In high school, my community outside of my family consisted of my girls from my basketball team. We were all in the honors and AP classes and played sports all year round. These were and still are my good friends today. During this time, my community was important in my teenage life. I was focused on school, staying out of trouble and going to college. My girls were just that, smart, driven and motivated young women. In fact, this has been the theme throughout my life.

In college, my community was just as dynamic. My G4L's we were all in Business School together. We worked on many late night projects. We laughed together and went from teenagers to young adults together. We have watched some of us get married and have babies. These women are the ones who supported me, believed in me and even invested in my pursuit of leaving Corporate America and becoming an actress. They have always cheered me on and pushed me to go after what I loved. They remind me that whatever I want to do, I can. Also in college, my sorority was a part of my community. Many of these women are entrepreneurs, entertainers, mothers, lawyers and Ph.D.'s today. From them I learned so much, I was challenged and grew in so many ways. I learned how to better run a business, how to market, how to exist and standout amongst other dynamic women. I also learned how people from different backgrounds could come together for one common goal.

Post graduation I resided in NY. My community was my church friends who were also in the entertainment industry. Gosh, this was such a time of spiritual maturity. Not only were my close friends, people I prayed with, but they were also people that had a similar mindset towards God and pursuing their dreams. Man, we were some young adults with big and bold visions. We had so much confidence in our relationship with God and with what our purpose was. We created businesses, which some of us today is currently running. We created non-profits, plays, and movies. My heart simply smiles when I think of those times.

Today my community also consists of my RLS family. These people are some badass Artistic Killers. This community stretches me to be the best artist I can be. They challenge me to allow my imagination to run wild. They hold me accountable, even when I don't want it. They play a part in every aspect of my life in some shape or form, all in a good way. My RLS community allows me to be myself unapologetically and raise the evaluation of my life.

I started off saying “It Takes A Village”. I feel so blessed to have a community at each important journey of my life. My community over the years has consisted of groups and individuals like my old roommate, some of my guy pals and others. These people have been a reflection of who I am and examples of what I want to do. Of course, sometimes you have to do some pruning to your community. But it's important to watch and water these communities and remove any thorns that do not belong.

My teacher says your fate is inextricably bound to the group to which you belong. As a kid, I did not know that phrase, but I always knew the power of having the right surroundings. Having people that believed and dreamed just as big as you and bigger. As an adult, I understand the importance of community. As you think about the people in your life and your community, be candid with yourself. Does your community reflect whom you are or what and where you want to be? If so great, you are on the right track. If not, do some pruning. Set your sights high and have the surroundings that support it.