fear of success

[Birgitt Bolton]

Open space is not something to be sold or not sold. It is a means (open
space as a verb) and a container (open space as a noun) through which
organizations can attend to their transformation. I have learned in life
that no one or no organization can ever be convinced that transformation is
critical to their well being, to life. And I don't try to convince. When an
individual or organization is ready for transformation, or has transformed
and is waiting for itself to catch up with itself, he/she/it will know and
be ready and in the case of the organization will look at Open Space and say
"yes". Not a matter of selling, as much a matter of introducing Open Space
to someone who may not have had the chance to know about it. And the best
way of introducing is to keep telling the stories wherever we are, as often
as anyone is willing to listen to them (okay, okay--I'm not invited to many
cocktail parties any more :-)).

As in the life of the individual, so in the life of the organization--we
often struggle against our transformation not so much because we are afraid
of failure as that we are so afraid of our success, success beyond our
wildest expectations. We are afraid of our light as individuals. We are
afraid of the success that we can be as organizations. Else--why would we
have set so many barriers in place to achieving that state of success. And
life has a funny way of designing itself. Out of our fear, we stay in the
toxicity of the way we choose to conduct individual life, or organizational
life until we hit a huge wall, crash, and then turn to the light when we've
exhausted other options and ourselves.

On this winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, I wish you all a
wonderful celebration of the dark and the light. Happy New Year!

Love Birgitt

Warmest regards,
Birgitt

Birgitt Bolton of Dalar Associates
www.openspacetechnology.com
55 Ravina Cres., Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
 L9G 2E8
phone: 905-648-5775  fax: 905-648-2262