When we feel accepted and held by a group, we feel more safe to fully express ourselves. A group can consist of anywhere from 3 persons up to 20, to feel at home in. Usually around 10 is a good number. when we want the group to be whole and not splitting into two. Often times, bigger groups tend to also develop an informal leader alongside the formal leader, which can bring about conflicts and insecurity among its members and in the culture we form.

I’ve been thinking about how I express myself orally and how it used to be, when I was part of an acting group growing up in my Swedish High School years. I think we worked together for some five years, putting up children’s plays, musicals and even a series of dialogues by one of the Swedish literary masters. Since we all got to know each other and were performing together, we also built a supportive disposition that enabled us to become better on stage, as we prepared, rehearsed and offered our audience our best interpretations in a closely knit collaboration. For this to become good, we all learned to accept and respect one another, had fun, and helped each other out as we practiced with improvisations. Thus, with the group as our foundation, we can bring forth our inner selves more, with our own quirks and authenticity blossoming, as well as in any roles we play.

Likewise, coaching in small groups in a round the table setting, can enable more open discussions with forward motion for our topic at hand. This is how we really can share on an equal basis with mutual trust.

At Telluselle Living Center, I hope to host support groups and coaching conversation circles, with various topics and concerns, to develop not only ourselves, but also our community, and in extension our society.