Circling

In my definition, circling is a communication game where you practice putting your internal dialogue into words to better understand your assumptions.

There are 3 goals:

Connection
Aliveness
Ownership

To achieve this, we have 4 levels:

Observations
- Inarguable facts that a camera would capture.
- You are wearing a green sweater.
Feelings, Emotions
- Express your bodily and emotional feelings through I-messages. Providing a specific trigger for the emotion is suggested, but not required.
- (When …,) I feel …
- I feel a lifting feeling in my chest.
- When you make eye contact with me, I feel shy.
Owning, Stories
- I have a story that …
- I have a story that you don't like me because of my background.
Needs, Wants, Impulses, Curiosities, Agendas
- I have a need/agenda/impulse to …
- I have an impulse to avoid conflict.
- I have an agenda to make new friends.
- I am curious how you felt after their share.

Headlines

In practice, it can be difficult to stick to just things in the present. If something in the present brings up an important fact from the past, you can use a Headline. This should be a VERY brief description of the experience that is alive in you presently.

For example: Headline: I was in a minor car accident on the way here and I still feel a shaking in my body.