Rx: When You have Forgotten You have Value

I first experienced this inspiring process with a group of my organizing colleagues and was amazed at the amount of power it delivered. It also turned out to be a lot of fun.

Get together with a group of friends. Three or four at least. More is better. We did it with about a dozen people. Bring a chart pad, some large sheets of paper or a large tablet. If you have big sheets, put them up where they can be written on and seen by everyone.

Begin your process by creating a ritual space. Gather in a circle and hold hands or place your hands on one another’s shoulders. Each person can speak an intention, a blessing, a request, or simply remain silent. This ritual creates a container for grace to arise and deepens the experience.

Then, the first person who is “it” sits quietly, and listens while the others take turns saying a word or short phrase describing one of that person’s positive traits, (for example: kind, honest, stylish; has a good sense of humor, is a good listener, can be called upon in a crisis.) It is important that the person who is being lauded remains silent. She or he can, however, smile a lot.

During this process, another person writes down the list of traits on the paper. When the paper is full, and everyone feels complete, another person is chosen to be “it.”

When every one has had a turn, each person is given his or her list of qualities.  We rolled up and tied ours with a colorful ribbon.

Conclude by gathering again in a circle, perhaps with each person speaking a word or two of gratitude or appreciation, or of what they received from the experience.

Take your list home and, if you wish, print it — by hand or on the computer — on a nice piece of paper. Put it up where you can see it, reread it and remember the good things about yourself which are seen and valued by others.

Excerpted from An Invitation to An Extraordinary Life
© 2011 Anacaria Myrrha ~ All Rights Reserved