The quality of keeping people together

A while back I subscribed to the The Happiness Project blog. Not because I’m into all the hoopla about making your life full of the bluebird of happiness, but out of a sort of curiosity for what is going on in the lives of people who are and how exactly they think you achieve this end. I’ve discovered since that it’s actually quite a sensible site most of the time, with advice like giving yourself a bedtime, getting rid of clutter, building strong relationships ...

I am co-leading a bible study group this year, and part of what I believe this role involves is helping along some of the more relational elements that make a group work well. We had our first meeting last night and I was thinking about this, so I was curious today to read this post about the quality of keeping people together, with a nice little biographical note about the poet Guillaume Apollinaire. It doesn’t really tell you how to go about it, or what it’s made up of specifically, but it got me thinking, and I cruised through some of the comments. The truth is, I don’t think I naturally have this quality in any great abundance. I can be rather fiercely loyal to a few over a long period of time, but I don’t gather crowds around me everywhere I go.

So does anyone out there have any thoughts on the quality of keeping people together and what it involves?