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Digital strategist Shelley Bernstein once said that one of the greatest challenges currently facing us is how to interact meaningfully with the people we serve. Interact meaningfully with the people we serve. Not eyeballs. Not users. But people.

Don’t try to do what you think people will find interesting or what might present you as “relatable.” That is not something you can control. It’s a consequence of being your true self and speaking your truth. Once people recognize that in you, they’ll believe in what you have to say.

We shouldn’t rely on brands or strangers online to create community for us. Instead, let’s recognize and appreciate the ways community already shows up in our everyday lives — and reflect on how we can nurture it and continue caring for those who do the same for us.

If you want more, you should learn new perspectives and gain new experiences that will allow you to constantly develop. For this to happen, you need to put yourself in new situations to observe how you behave and gain knowledge.

Communication creates community. The way we communicate forms the types of communities we form: communities where the highest good sought is great entertainment and prestige (“he prepares for those podcasts like none other, and asks banger questions!”) or communities oriented toward the truth and encounters with the real.

Make mistakes. Say things that are wrong. Say something that comes from the heart. We are in dire need of authenticity and anyone who puts themselves out there and says how they truly feel is admirable.