Circle of Connections: Family & I

In collaboration with the Wellbeing Movement, we held space for a conversation around family.

The Circle of Connection is curated by the Wellbeing Movement where people come together to reflect, share, listen, support, and be supported in our journeys. The circle which met on 12 Nov, discussed Family and I. The primary lines of inquiry were around these questions:

• What does family mean to me? How do I feel about the current state of affairs in my family?
• What are some things I’d like to embrace, let go of, and revitalize, about my family?
• How do the relationships with my family reflect on my relationship with myself and my outer world?

We had a great mix of intergenerational participants, allowing for multiple perspectives and deep sharing. We discovered together how the idea of family has expanded over the years where we have biological family and the soul family. We identified what family meant to us – which collectively could be summarised as – a space where we are heard, understood, and supported, and where we feel a deep connection and belonging and the freedom to be who we are.

Analyzing the current state of affairs in the family, through a visual representation helped us to go beyond words and capture the emotion, and flow (or absence of it) in the relationships we hold within our family.

We celebrated the things we enjoy and welcome in our family, identified areas that could use some revitalizing, and identified aspects we would like to let go of.

The core part of this circle was to reflect upon the connections we have with our family and the way it affects our connection with ourselves. Most of the time we define ourselves based on what others expect of us and how well we think we are living up to those expectations. This pattern of thinking sometimes robs us of the opportunity to be our authentic selves.

With respect to family, biologically speaking, since we do not choose them, and because they continue with us for the rest of our lives it becomes important we understand how to navigate through them, in terms of setting boundaries, clear communication, being compassionate, and find ways to co-exist and thrive.

We would like to continue these circles, maybe once a month or once every 6 weeks, to identify specific areas within the larger circle of Family, and discuss how we could work on our inner wellbeing while balancing the wellbeing of our family members.

Please fill out this form to let us know if you’d like to be a part of these ongoing circles.

Much gratitude to the Wellbeing Movement community for allowing this seed to bloom.