What’s a Tribe, Why You Need One, and How to Find Yours

More than just a modern catchphrase, a “tribe” can mean a kind of extended family who shares your experiences, goals, and values. Your tribe members will help you grow—because it helps them grow too. If you need more people like this in your life, keep reading.

You’ve probably heard people tossing around the word “tribe” when talking about a close group of friends and colleagues. Maybe you’ve assumed it’s just another word for barkada. What you might not realize is that this tiny little world carries a wealth of meaning.

Now, if you go by strict definitions, then Merriam-Webster Dictionary offers up “a social group made up of many families, clans, or generations that share the same language, customs, and beliefs.” Other definitions may refer to ancient Romans or Athenians, or even animal taxonomy.

Then there’s this one: “a group of persons with a common character, occupation, or interest.” Yet, it still fails to encapsulate what a tribe is in the modern context. Because as Ligay Mishan writes for the New York Times’ T Magazine, “No other word in English carries the same promise of a family beyond family.”

And it’s this promise that matters.

Because in this day and age, there are so many ways to connect with people, but it has inevitably made it even easier to disconnect. This only makes people yearn for connection even more, to find people who’ll touch your life and whom you can touch in turn.

But those people might not be your family, whom you may have issues with understanding, even just the generational ones. It may not be your school barkada, who may have moved on to other things or be at different chapters in their lives from where you are.

While having people to vent to or to cheer you on is important, your tribe will do more for you than be on the sidelines of your life. The people who become your tribe help you learn about and appreciate other people’s perspectives. This leads to mental and emotional development. Plus, in the words of one tribal princess, you’ll learn things you never knew you never knew. It’s about growth just as much as it is about belonging.

So how do you find a tribe?

It all depends on the kinds of connections you want to make. And it may well be that you will join many tribes, even if you eventually decide on a main one. That’s perfectly okay.

Here are a few tips to finding not just a tribe, but your tribe:

• Align your interests.
  It’s essential to have something in common with other tribe members. Are you all into self-development? Or maybe you’ll find your tribe among members of your weekly yoga class. Perhaps you’re all mommies united by your love of self-pampering, whether with at-home spas or essential oils. Something unites your tribe—so you need to find what you love and then find others who love it just as much as you do.
• Match up your values.
  Other than looking at what you love, you can also look at what you believe in. You may have a deep, abiding faith and want to connect with others who are the same way. You may be passionate about a cause like mental health, the environment, or social justice. Find people who operate with similar values, and you might just find your tribe for life.
• Find your idols.
  Identify people you look up to, whether on a personal or professional level. You can then find people who admire them for the same reason you do—or you might even be able to join one of their tribes! With the current digital landscape, it’s entirely possible.
• Put yourself out there.
  There may be a few lucky people who stumble onto their tribe by accident, but we can promise you this won’t be the case for most. And keeping your tribe? There will be no accidents there. To have meaningful connections with people, you’ll have to give as much as you receive. And that means investing time and effort in finding and keeping your tribe members. It could mean joining a class, going to a party, inviting a coworker for drinks after work, or even just sending an email to a person you want to learn from. Do something. And then? Keep doing it.
• Be open-minded, but discerning.
  Judge a person prematurely, and you could miss out on getting to know how amazing they are. Give people chances, and you may find they’ll surprise you. Yet, on the flip side, you’ll also find that those surprises are not always pleasant. When you’re choosing potential tribe members, check if their attitudes, values, and personalities match up with yours. If you subscribe to Jim Rohn’s theory, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. So shouldn’t you make sure these are five people you genuinely find extraordinary who think you’re extraordinary too?

Are you looking for a tribe of goal-getter Pinays? Of strong women who want to take charge of their lives, pursue their passions, and realize their dreams by being proactive learners? Then take this as an open invitation to join the Pinay Girl Boss tribe!

Here’s how:
Take our courses
Attend our events ( Link to Events page )
Join our Facebook group