They say your life is the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. So, you should  choose your friends wisely. It’s an interesting concept to think about in a day and time when  we’ve become so isolated. In fact, it’s downright frightening to think we may be spending  more time staring at faces in Zoom boxes or scrolling social media pages than we spend in  face-to-face interaction these days. Who hasn’t seen the table of people at a restaurant with  all their heads downward staring at their phones. So, where do you go and what do you do  when you desire community and connection?  

To be honest, early in adulthood I didn’t even think about the power of a community. Yes, I  lived in a neighborhood. That’s a community, right? But is it really when people barely appear  from their houses or don’t even wave as they drive by? You could almost say people go out of  their way to avoid you rather than connect with you.  

Then, there’s church. That’s definitely a community, especially for active members. But if  you’re part of a larger congregation, do you really have close friends there? Or do you feel  anonymous when attending? A better question to ask would be, would anyone notice if you  didn’t attend on a given week. If you can answer yes to that, I’d say you’re one of the lucky  ones. Because as adults, it’s very hard to connect with people on any real, intimate level.  

That’s definitely been my experience. At least it was until I was introduced to the Juice Plus+  community. And let me just say, that was something I’ll never forget. I was a young mom living  in a new state and I had traveled to a weekend training event in a neighboring city. I figured  since I saw the value of building my own business, I needed to learn more about how to  actually do it. What were others doing to be successful? Why did they say yes to the products  and company? My curious brain wanted to gain a better understanding of exactly what I’d  gotten myself into.  

I had no clue what to expect that weekend. I only casually knew one person in attendance.  The best description I can provide is ‘awkward on steroids’. I remember the first dinner  experience at that event in particular. A great visual is the new student in the school cafeteria  carrying her tray and wondering where to sit. But people were saying hello and welcoming me  everywhere; in the buffet line, at the table, even in the bathroom. Friendly people were striking  up conversations. Who were these people? My skeptical mind thought something must be  up. Did someone place a sign on my back that said “I’m a newbie, please talk to me”?  

That was the first of many experiences that went the same way. It certainly wasn’t unique to  that weekend. Every event for years now, there’s been people welcoming, encouraging, and  sharing their knowledge with others. I finally decided I needed to let go of my skepticism and  embrace the culture. The people really are genuine. They are healthy and happy too. Within  this unique community, I’ve gained so many valuable friendships and been positively  influenced in priceless ways.  

Of course, you’d expect me to be friends with the team I work with, right? And truly that’s  probably an understatement. I feel each person that comes into our organization has blessed  me in immeasurable ways. And it’s not about income. While it’s great to work in a positive  environment where we get paid to help others grow and succeed, this is so much more. They  make me a better person. They teach me new ways of thinking. They bless me with  unconditional love and acceptance. In fact, I’ve chosen the word “framily” to more accurately  describe our team because they are friends I would actually chose as family.  

So, here we are two years post COVID. There’s a new normal. We’re more connected to  people than ever before through technology and social media. Yet we’re also a more  disconnected society than ever before. Depression has sky rocketed and tragically so has the  suicide rate. People feel alone and isolated. Yet, even when it’s been harder to gather in 

person, our community is thriving. We’ve stayed close throughout it all. I’d have to believe this  is because we know people matter more than profits. We’ve linked arms and walked through  these challenging times together. No one gets left behind and “better together” is definitely a  phrase we live by. We have forever been a business that prioritizes relationships, and we  recognize that having a community matters.  

There’s a saying I love; community is much more than belonging to something, it’s about doing  something together that makes belonging matter. I don’t know what could matter more than  inspiring healthy living around the world. The truth is, when you partner with people who are  like-minded and on the same mission, traveling in the same direction to better their lives, you  create a healthy, loving, and purpose-filled environment that people want to be an active part  of.  

So, I wonder who you’re spending your time with. Who are your five people? Do they  encourage you? Are you a better person from spending time with them? Do they push you  when needed and support you unconditionally. Sadly, I think outside our ‘Juice Plus+  bubble’ (as I like to say) the world is a lot harsher. Women aren’t encouraging one another but  instead, tearing one another apart with gossip and criticism. People in business are  undermining one another to make the sale, get the promotion, or boast about their personal  success. The norm is an ‘I’ not ‘We’ culture.  

So, what if you changed that? What if you surrounded yourself with people who wanted to  help you become all you were meant to be, but didn’t know you could be? I’ll say this. We  have to be so careful who we get our advice from, who we hang around with, and who we  consider wise. One of my mentors jokes, you don’t ask your neighbor who is a mechanic to  perform your heart surgery. You also shouldn’t ask a person lacking ambition if you should  pursue something that can dramatically improve your physical and financial health. The truth  is, more people are sheep than the shepherd. The great thing is, you get to choose which  you’ll be.