The Roundtable of Inner Characters
is a playful method to discover and develop
the different facets of who you are

 

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Have you ever felt confused and conflicted about a person or a situation? Have you ever been self-destructive and helpless to stop it? Have you ever teared up or been overwhelmed with anger or impatience in ways you couldn't explain? Have you ever felt uncertain about directions your life should take?

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One way to understand this mix of feelings and contradictions is to look inside what we generically call “I”, or the self, and recognize it as a collection of characters: we are made of different facets and personalities, yet we are mostly unaware of who those are and what truly drives or distinguishes them, how each one influences, guides, or impedes us. Each character displays different skills, needs, fears, limitations, and desires. I call it the ‘Roundtable of Inner Characters’. 

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Those characters are archetypal, meaning one can find similar blueprints in each person. A few examples? The Wise One with the wisdom to guide us through a life well lived; the Doer, the Warrior, the Lover, the Caretaker, the Critic, the Hermit, the Rebel, and a few inner Children. Some of those characters are in command, others are missing in action. Each one has different expressions — “in the light” or “in the shadow” meaning a more positive or a more toxic version of it.

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By getting to know all those facets, we gradually understand ourselves much more clearly and more subtly; we get a vocabulary to name different behaviors, desires and fears; we develop dialogues between those different facets to transcend anxieties and inner conflicts; we learn how to connect to our Wise one for inner guidance, to our Warrior for safety, to our Caretaker for nourishment, to our Critic for constructive rather than toxic feedback — and so much more; as we understand ourselves more, we sharpen our ability to understand, engage, and dialogue with others. 

 

The Roundtable of Inner Characters is a powerful tool to navigate relationships whether personal or professional. In a couple, with a friend, or in corporate teams, knowing about each others’ Wise One, Hermit, Doer, Critic (and the others) becomes a powerful tool to defuse tension, to transcend blocages, and to create the best possible alchemy. 

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Last but not least, each one of those facets has a different version of what is a ‘life well lived’ — the Lover will never have the same priorities as the Idealist, the Doer or the Hermit. It is important to hear each one of them and integrate those desires and needs as we walk towards a most authentic and fulfilling journey of life.