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One of the meanings listed in the dictionary under Tribe is:

A group of people sharing an occupation, interest, or habit.

               Example: a Tribe of graduate students.

A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.

~ Seth Godin

All seekers of their North Star have things in common with each other, even though their North Stars might be distinct and unique. They have a common passion: to reach their individual North Stars. They have similar attitudes. They have similar personality traits; they are tenacious, persistent and focused. They are all on a goal. They are all facing challenges and learning how to overcome them. None of them think giving up is an option.

If that doesn’t define a Tribe, what does?

If you are committed to your North Star, having your own Tribe will be an incredibly powerful resource to have at hand. When you are enthused and going great guns, you Tribe will rejoice in the lightness of your steps. When you reach milestones your Tribe will break out the bubbly. When you find stones tied to your feet your Tribe will hasten to untie the tricky knots. When things aren’t going well, your Tribe will offer perspective, encouragement and sound advice.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.

~ Jane Howard

They will sit with you a while as you recuperate and rejuvenate. They will tell you stories of their own victories, of the challenges they too have overcome. They will give you faith and belief in your own ability to reach your goals- because they have reached theirs.  Their victories with give you courage, their struggles will give you strength for yours. Nothing deepens your belief in your ability to reach your summit than to see a fellow traveler reach his.

Your Tribe will be your best support system. They will multiply you in ways you could never have imagined. They would spark you off with inspiring, new ideas; they would fill you to the brim with verve and vim. They will make you restless with a desire to try your wings. You will feel ten feet tall with a strength and courage to match. They will make you want to LIVE like never before.

I really have created a family. I work with the people I love, I travel with them, I make films with them, and I’m in an office with them. So in a weird way – I know I haven’t birthed a child – I feel that I’m a part of creating a family. It’s a tribe. I love that word.

~ Drew Barrymore

Who will you choose as your Tribe? Who will you include as a part of your world?

Don’t include people who- however nice- don’t inspire you. Don’t make a Tribe of people who aren’t on their journey to their North Star. There will be times when your own fire will burn down. You will need a potent spark to restart. People who have no fire in their belly wont be able to help you then.

Your Tribe must be made of people who are tenacious and tireless. Your world must primarily include those who share you values. When you are preparing to fly, fraternize with those who aspire to the same- or are already air- borne. You will be known (and made) by the company you keep. If you collect around you those who are too blind to see their own North Star, you can kiss yours goodbye. Remember Nuñez in the story The Country of the Blind? The villagers didn’t hail Nuñez as the king, they thought his vision was a flaw.

You will need the help of your Tribe to escape from the Country of the Blind before they operate on you and take away your eyes. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you will ever become king in that country. They don’t like people with sight, the blind ones.

Your Tribe will be blessed with vision, just like you.

As I look back over my mountains of growth and compare them to the molehills where I stagnated, community often made the difference.

~ Mary E. DeMuth