What happens when a group of beautiful souls decides to go out of their comfort zone, join a cookbook club, cook a recipe, travel to the venue, and gather together each month with folks they may or may not know? The short answer is . . . a lot. The long answer has many layers of benefits that run deep and wide.

Deep

It takes a brave person to walk into a room of perfect strangers without having a panic attack. Imagine all of the thoughts that might be racing through their head. “Did I make enough food? Will they actually eat it? What if they don’t like it? What if they don’t like me?” You get the idea.

When they muster up the courage to show up and immerse themselves in the whole experience, something profound happens in their psyche. They realize that they survived! Not only that, but wound up pleasantly surprised by the experience and they’re overcome with a feeling of exhilaration. That feeling you get when you conquer a fear and feel invincible.

That, my friends, is expansion. And it feels divine!

Deeper

Over time, as these perfect strangers continue to share time along with their stories and culinary wisdom, another magical gift is bestowed — the gift of belonging. To be seen and to be known, a necessity for every human being.

As tribal creatures, it’s in our nature to want to feel part of something greater than ourselves. We crave this form of connection and we thrive on it. Because the alternate scenario is rejection, which can trigger fears of impending doom and a need for survival.

Simply put, playing an active roll in a healthy vibrant group nurtures one’s heart and soul.

It’s good medicine. Really good.

Deepest

Being a part of the tribe is one thing, but when lifelong friendships are formed as a result of participating in a cookbook club, the depth of impact is profoundly intangible. It’s these types of friendships that add a layer of richness to life, making it more fun and enjoyable.

Wide

Think of all of the books, ingredients, and supplies a club needs to purchase on a regular basis. Imagine the economic impact if they purchased everything from local bookshops, markets, farmers, and gift shops? It’s like a miniature stimulus for your neighboring businesses. And if a group rents space from a local venue, that only furthers the economic goodness being spread throughout the community.

It’s a win-win scenario.

Wider

When a cookbook club is born from the heart and built with love, that positivity gets reflected back by the members of the group. That heart-centered energy becomes compounds and grows to the point of overflowing into the lives of others as well as the local community.

Such joy-filled groups feel deeply appreciative of the abundant food they get to enjoy every month. And it’s that gratitude that transforms into gestures of generosity toward those that need it most.

Delivering leftovers to a friend who’s sick or a family that’s going through a rough patch. Cooking extra food and donating it to a local homeless shelter. Running a food drive each month for the local pantry. The opportunity to share the abundance with the local community becomes a blessing for all involved.

Cookbook clubs are much more than a simple potluck gathering. There’s an even greater ripple effect that trickles deep down into the hearts of everyone and throughout the community. All the more reason to initiate a group of your own in your corner of the world. You won’t regret it, I promise.