\Holding space

[Toni Petrinovich]

And one of the first things the passionate observer observes is that it is the ego personality that is having the "hard time" NOT being noticed as special.

Toni
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Harrison Owen 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 5:20 AM
  Subject: Re: \Holding space


  At 04:43 PM 4/30/2002 -0400, john engle wrote:


    we talk a lot about what it means to open/hold space. we often say that it
    is tiring and that it can be draining. i often find it to be so. i ask if
    these are not characteristics that we put on ourselves as a result of our
    resistance toward letting go.

    if this is correct, why do we need to struggle so? what are we resisting and
    why? as we grow and become more mature, should we not arrive at a place
    where opening space, just like any other activity, is nothing more than
    breathing in, breathing out, ... breathing/nourishing our souls, being
    open/aware to what is happening?

  John it is a wonder -- but not so strange. Ever since it has been apparent that anybody with a good head and good heart can "do" an Open Space. It has also been true, I think, that it will take the rest of your life to "do" it well. Certainly that has been my experience. It is the old bug-a-boo of letting go, and how to do it. And of course, the harder you try, the more difficult it becomes. Somewhere in there you come to the conclusion that real letting go requires letting go of letting go... or something. And then suddenly you run into the odd phenomenon of boredom in Open Space. After all what's to do? Why am I needed? And the answer, of course is -- You aren't needed. And you aren't needed, at least in the sense of teaching the folks something new. Truth is -- they are already there. And just about the time you think you got that one right -- it all comes around again. To be sure you are not needed to teach or do a process -- but you are very critical as a silent witness to the moment of creation as it rolls out with the group. And what would "silent witness" mean? Passive observer? Hardly! And so it goes. Definitely a journey -- but a great one.

  Harrison 


    Harrison Owen

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