Community and Solitude

In reviewing Parker J. Palmer's The Courage to Teach, it became clearer to me how the two concepts of community and solitude can coexist--both are necessary for survival.

Human beings need community to feel a part of something greater than themselves, to connect on a more intimate level with others, to feel needed, wanted and loved. These are all good things. But you can get too much of a good thing.

Just as too much chocolate can make you sick, too much community can make you sick too.

Have you ever heard yourself saying, "I'm tired of people"? Or maybe it was more like, "I'm sick and tired of people!"? Sometimes the things we say in exasperation or frustration are really the things we feel, no matter how bad they sound or seem. Sometimes, we just need to be left alone.

There's nothing wrong with wanting or craving solitude. There's nothing wrong with wanting or craving community. Sometimes I forget that these two paradoxes exist in the same human being--me, you, everyone.

So while creating community and fostering community is important and necessary for a successful business and a successful life, don't forget to create and foster yourself. You can have community and solitude, but go easy on the chocolate.