A table. Nutritious food. Twelve people. I am not describing a scene from the Bible, but a community table at the Red Mountain Spa. The metaphor of the Last Supper is appropriate though when you experience what happens when 12 strangers gather around one central theme.
In the case of the community table at Red Mountain Spa, the theme was health and fitness. I was a community table virgin of sorts. It was only the second time in my adult life that I chose to sit at a community table in a public restaurant. The other had also been within the last year. Given my obvious hesitancy, you might be surprised to learn that each time I have I am impressed with how easily and quickly people engage and expose intimate details about their lives, dreams and challenges.
For me, the community table experience simulates the concept in positive psychology that social networks and human connection are key to traversing the opportunities and challenges of a successful life. There is no community without people and people cannot be happy without community.
Dr. Success Challenge: Create a community table. Is there a coffee shop or casual restaurant you frequent often. If it has a community table (which are becoming increasingly more common since I first saw one at Katz & Company in the early 1990’s), sit there the next time you visit that spot. Take note of how it feels to be there alone. Take note of how you behave when someone joins the table. Take note of how, or if, you engage with others. Take note of how, and if, others engage with you. Now, what have all those notes told you about yourself?
Thank you and enjoy,
Andrea T. Goeglein, PhD
Dr. Success
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