"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will
know peace."
– Jimi Hendrix

and The Love Campaign!

Conversation Circles


Maybe when I give others my understanding instead of trying to get them to see it my way, we can come together.

– God for President

Too often, we try to make others agree with us, see it our way, the "right" way. But what if there was no "right" way? What if what is true for someone is true for him or her? You may not agree, but if you made that okay, you just might be able to connect with that person, find some common ground and create solutions beyond what either of you had imagined.

Listening will get us much farther than shouting or pushing others to our side of the road. Trust is built when we seek to understand one another and create relationships built on acceptance and respect.

Do you have someone in your life that you disagree with on a political or social issue? If so, ask them to join you in a "Conversation Circle" (can be 2 or more people) where you make some agreements for listening and attempt to discuss issues in a more loving manner. See below, "How to Show Up for a Circle Conversation".

If you have a community group or organization that could use the
complete Circle Conversation model, please contact Lisa Venable
for further assistance and/or consultation.



How to SHOW UP for a Circle Conversation:


Goal of Circle Conversations: To CONNECT people with different viewpoints so they can find greater possibilities and solutions than they can imagine on their own. People talk "with" each other, not at each other.

  • Accept what's true for another person versus deciding if it's right or wrong. It just "is." Acknowledge their right to have a viewpoint.
  • Seek to hold power with vs. power over another in the group.
  • Acknowledge all values and ideas as possibilities. Seek to go beyond to possibilities you may have never considered. Be open to greater solutions to emerge than any one person/group could have imagined.
  • Let go of your need to be "right."
  • Seek to work together to resolve issues. Seek to unite vs. separate.
  • Allow yourself to refrain from complaining. State your needs and preferences and make a request instead.
  • Seek to understand. Ask questions until you do. This shows your appreciation for another's reality.
  • See yourself as an equal participant. Seek to be in a circle without hierarchy. You and your views are no better or worse than any other. Seek to find the best solution.
  • Be mindful of assessments you regard as absolute truth when, in reality, they are simply your opinion (e.g. "It’s 60 degrees" is truth; "It’s too cold" is an assessment).

CONVERSATION PROCESS:


  • Decide who goes first by the month of your birthday. Choose a topic.
  • TAKE A MINUTE OF SILENCE. Open to your heart. Take a few moments to center there.
  • Take a moment to connect with the soul in front of you. Look past their face, into their eyes for one minute and connect with their soul.
  • Ask the person what they want to share with you about _____.
  • Speaker - Try phrases like: "What's true for me is...", "one possibility is ____"
  • As the person begins to share their views, listener needs to stay focused on seeking to listen and allow the other point of view. Stop yourself when your mind desires to counter attack or make a point to prove them wrong. Your only purpose now is to honor and allow their point of view by getting into their shoes and knowing this is simply what is TRUE for them.
  • When they are finished, ask any clarifying questions that would help you understand their view more clearly.
  • Switch places.
  • Share how the process went for all parties.