Lift your life, not your face
According to the 2011 census data 36% of Australian’s volunteered their time, service or skill to community organisations during that year. The benefits to those organisations are obvious but Denis Moriarty says volunteering and community groups are good for us all.
Either I’m unusually cranky or that online ad with “Melbourne: 52 Year Old Mum Looks 27 – Mum publishes free facelift secret that has angered doctors…..” is by now the most irritating four square inches on the planet.
She has nothing to do with Melbourne! They just feed in the name of whatever city your computer is linked to! How is that even legal?
Not only that, she’s spoiling the game for the rest of us. People – it pains me to say this – tend not to believe things they read on the internet. Or not much of it, anyway. That 52-year-old Mum has rather a lot to answer for.
Which is why I don’t blame you for being a bit cautious about my own line: "Controlling for your blood chemistry, age, gender, whether or not you jog, and for all other risk factors, your chances of dying over the course of the next year can be cut in half by this simple procedure…”
All I have to say in my defence is that I do have actual evidence, with references and all. “… Your chances of dying over the course of the next year are cut in half by joining one group, and cut to a quarter by joining two groups."
Community groups are good for you. It’s true.
Throw yourself into the local barbed wire collector’s club newsletter (yes, there are some) and you’ll be happier and live longer. Sing in a choir, even with a voice like mine, and it skews your next doctor’s checkup towards smiles all round.
We hear a lot about diets and exercise and herbal supplements as a way of keeping you fit and bouncy, but there’s almost a total blackout on one of the most powerful levers of wellbeing there is: social connection
Why is this so?
Is it because people want to think that they’re responsible for their own health, proudly individual and unsupported, not having to rely on anybody else?
I think at least some of the answer can be found in that explanation. Our culture, our movies, our books are all about heroes who make things happen, on their own, against the opposition of everyone around them.
Another obvious point, of course, is that there’s not much prospect of making money out of people’s sociability. Which is why you’re not likely to see the “Join a community group!” mantra up next to that “facelift secrets” ad. More’s the pity.
That’s no reason for you to ignore the evidence, though. Go join a community group. Nay, join two! There are 600,000 to go round, many of them listed on our website.
And if you’re already well sold on this message, come along to Communities in Control in June, where we’ll be bringing together people who care about community and are working to make our community groups stronger and smarter.
We promise there won’t be a wrinkle ad in sight.
Denis Moriarty is the Founding Managing Director of Our Community. He has a strong background in executive management in both the public and private sectors. He was the former head of the Victorian Government’s Information Service, Managing Director of Strategic Australia Pty Ltd, and former Commissioner and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Tourism Commission. Denis is a graduate of both the Vincent Fairfax Ethics in Leadership Awards and the Williamson Community Leadership program, and a member of several non-profit and private boards. He is passionate for change and improving the lives of the most disadvantaged in society, not in a charitable notion but one based on communities taking charge of their own destiny. He was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003 for his work in establishing Our Community and he sees Our Community as an organisation to assist, inspire and encourage debate and improve the social fabric and soul of Australia through its 600,000 community organisations. He is an optimist but sadly misses the leadership shown by his hero Paul Keating – particularly the stand he took on leading indigenous and economic reforms.
