Community is a lot of things to a lot of people.
Its having neighbours next door to help shovel your sidewalks, mow the grass, and deliver that missing egg from your late night baking.
It’s the rest of the people that live around you that keep an eye on your house while you’re out. Constantly providing an around the clock neighbourhood watch. Ensuring that nothing is missed, and at the end of the day, everyone is safe and accounted for.
Its family that you grow up with. Who know the good, the bad, the ugly. And despite everything – they’re there with you every step of the way. Supportive. Caring. Loving. Trusting. Always having your back.
Its the family you’ve adopted through out the years. Close friends and in laws. People that may not be blood, but the bond runs thicker. These are chosen family. Hand selected relatives and the best of the best in your books.
The people you work with. Coworkers, superiors, upper management. Team players that may not know the intricate details of your position, but are there to work with you and help you to succeed. They motivate you and help you strive to constantly reach new goals. Achieving greatness.
It can also go as far as not just the people you work with and for in your own four brick and mortar walls, but the people you call clients, or customers, or guests to your office. Contractors. Suppliers. Distributors. While the goals may differ, they still find themselves part of your daily routine and have brought themselves into your work community.
Relationships are established, bonds are formed. You learn about people on professional business levels, and personal levels. All of a sudden that person that drops a report off on your desk every Thursday, isn’t just that person from accounting. They have a name, a life, a family. You share little details and tidbits about your life and slowly a bond forms. It goes from a quick paper drop on your desk, to a weekly recap of important and not so important events. Brief water cooler moments to help the day progress and feel a little bit fuller.
Depending on the community you’ve surrounded yourself with, your bonds and relationships will vary. But the community itself is important.
Within the Sentinel community, while we may not see each other every day, or work with each other on every detail – we still share common ground.
We’re all working toward a common goal in security. While our particular client that day may differ, everyone does their best to have each others back. There is a deeply supportive team. While we all have our good and bad days, there is always someone to step in and step up to help out where needed. And when or if it ever comes down to someone needing to step back and take a breath, there is always someone there to reassure and replace.
Everyone needs breathing room.
Everyone deserves a pat on the back once in a while.
And sometimes – life happens.
We all know that life sometimes may not seem fair and bad things happen. But this is where having a strong, established community comes into play.
Being a part of a team or of a community is important.
It helps lift us up when we’re down and motivates us to help others. It acknowledges our similarities and embraces our differences.
We are constantly forced to work on our team work skills, our motivational skills, and learning more about sympathy and empathy and just the general act of being kind.
Community is more then the small group in the back of the room. Its everyone in the room. Everyone in the building. Its everyone.
Community is a vital part of life – and a vital part of Sentinel.
At the end of the day, it may have not been the best day, but as long as we have each other, we can make it through to another day.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.