Many years ago I used to listen to Lino Rulli on the Catholic Channel (XM radio). I considered myself a christian at the time, but not catholic. Nevertheless, h

Many years ago I used to listen to Lino Rulli on the Catholic Channel (XM radio). I considered myself a christian at the time, but not catholic. Nevertheless, his show was hilarious and I tried to listen as often as possible. They had this segment called 'minor confessions' where people would confess things that were pretty inconsequential, but still honest. Around that time I was on a road trip with some friends and I thought it'd be fun to play the game. I figured it'd be goofy and kill a few minutes while we waited for a 'Q'. It didn't take long before the game turned into one of the most genuine and honest experiences of our relationship together. It was surprising how quickly we skipped past the minor and got into some pretty heavy stuff. Years later I found myself in a booth at a pub with a bunch of dudes from church essentially having a doubt-group. A friend started out with questioning the divinity of Jesus -- and it carried from there. Only a few years ago I was in a depression group therapy program provided by my local hospital --- and the same raw honestly and openness prevailed. For me it was clear that early on I wanted this openness and honesty in my everyday life and not just a few times every few years and I've made a concerted effort to make it so. At first it was tough to overcome the fear or fear of shame, but once I got into the habit of it, I discovered that people value vulnerability and will often mirror this in the relationship. There is also a line between being honest about struggles and stuff and being a whiner or a chronic complainer. I think it all boils down to your intention --- are you being open and honest for the attention or purely for the sake of something free and beautiful. I truly hope that 'Authentic relating' catches on... but maybe without a formal title or 'movement.'