Chelsea speaks: On community
Friday night lights, beauty salon gossip, peace and quiet, iconic neighborhood bars, and yes — everybody really does know your name. Many believe living in a large metropolitan city brings more opportunity, but living in a small town offers plenty of key life lessons.
What has your community done for you?
Lesson one: Family matters.
Family and values are important and a priority in many small towns. Families provide guidance, support, unconditional love, and are often the single most important influence in our lives. In many cases our friends become family. Living in such a tight knit community without the hustle and bustle of a major city allows that bond to grow stronger.
Lesson two: Your name matters.
Many family names have been in the area for a long time. Less people means your name carries greater meaning and word about you travels much faster. This teaches you to act accordingly in public and private.
Lesson three: Accountability.
There are less secrets in a small towns which means there is a higher level of accountability. You know everyone and everyone knows you. They also know your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Your actions not only reflect upon you but those closest to you as well. Your reputation is important in business and in your personal life. It is more likely that the good or bad that you do will spread, so remember; someone is always watching.
Lesson four: Make an impact.
If you have a particular skill or talent it is much easier to become one of the best in a small town. This means more of the reward you are seeking. Capitalize on the benefit of being able to make a greater impact in a smaller environment.
Lesson five: Don’t burn your bridges.
Never burn the bridge that brought you over because you might need the same bridge to get back across. This saying has never been more fitting than in today’s highly connected world. Today everyone seems to know one another! You never know when you are going to run into someone you’ve had a previous encounter with or someone that has a solid relationship with them. This doesn’t mean you cannot be assertive. Assertiveness is actually recommended. However, in challenging or confrontational situations you should allow yourself a 24 hour reaction window. This will give you a chance to put things in a much better perspective. Although it may feel good to purge unwanted emotions and feelings, how you respond to stressful situations may impact your personal and professional future. You can apologize for your actions but once the damage is done you can’t take back the moment.
Lesson six: Loyalty:
In a fast-paced dog-eat-dog world loyalty is a vintage principal. Many are brainwashed in to believing that success will only come after looking out for number one (yourself) no matter what the cost. A slower paced lifestyle will keep you grounded and allow you the ability to look out for yourself without completely losing sight of humanity.
Whether you’re currently living in a small town or you’ve ventured off to take in the big city lights, never forget your humble beginnings. Never forget the people, places, or things that have helped you succeed or the lessons you have learned along the way.
Your small town values make you who you are. We stick together in times of hardship and prosperity, we look after each other, keep one another safe, and stand up for what we believe in. I’m thankful for my roots and will always be a small town girl.
xo
Chelsea Settles of Uniontown is a former MTV reality television personality who starred in a show of her same name.