When we are telling our life stories, we enter the cognitive state shared by artists, laborers and songwriters. That mental state is known as FLOW, or Theta wave or Genius. We connect through memory to our younger selves, recalling the highlights and the vivid detail. Time stops as we relate to members of our group the factual accounting of chunks of our lives.
When we bare our souls to a roomful of strangers who become our friends, we gain self-awareness. Telling your story leaves you feeling wise and grateful; you just experienced a younger you growing up surviving challenges even though you had weaknesses, shortcomings and human flaws.
When we sense safety in the group, our nervous systems shift into a mode that empowers us to recall long-forgotten details and share wholeheartedly; but, when we sense abusive or controlling neighbors, we naturally act with a 'fight or flight' impulse. Maintaining a cordial atmosphere means treating others with the same respect each of us wants to enjoy. Compassion fuels our collective consciousness. We help each other grow by respecting their needs for civility.
This self-awareness is fueling confidence, authenticity and vulnerability. It feeds growth in friendship skills and re-orients us toward generosity of spirit, so we illuminate others. We discover how empathy and respect can open our hearts to see how similar we all are.
