How do we improve our community? Natchez area community leaders will ask themselves that very question soon as they embark on the latest community self-help project.

The City of Natchez, Natchez Inc. and the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the interactive workshop on June 15-16.

Before you roll your eyes and say, “Not another group hug,” let’s consider a few things.

The glass-is-half-full folks will say, “Natchez is great. What’s there to be changed?”

Their polar opposites will almost certainly say, “Natchez is near death, and no amount of life support can help.”

The truth, as is usually the case, is somewhere in between.

Yes, Natchez and the surrounding areas are wonderful, and we have much going for us that other communities do not possess.

However, true greatness comes from constant pruning and care and a communitywide drive to go from good to great.

It’s easy to point out flaws.

Making positive changes requires working more than just one’s lips, and it will take more than just one or two pairs of hands.

Truly great communities became that way because a group of people shared a common goal and started working together. Too often in our area’s past, we earned a reputation as being more like an episode of the Keystone Kops — everyone running in a different direction.

We can change that, together. But it will take a concerted effort, all pulling together and ignoring the naysayers — they’re never happy with anything anyway — to make it a success.

Let’s set some goals and get to work.