A Quiet Time

Thu Mar 2 11:07:57 PST 2006

From: Wendy Farmer-O'Neil [mailto:wendy at xe.net] 
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 2:00 PM
To: hhowen at verizon.net
Subject: RE: A Quiet Time

Dear Harrison,

It is exciting to be able to read an early draft--to see you capturing your
ideas fast and dense.  The image in my mind is of you standing in the middle
of host of butterflies, trying to focus quickly and capture a description of
each one before it melts back into the swirling whirl. 

It is also a great opportunity to think about the process of writing with my
open space mind. I am thinking about how one of the great gifts of the
process of revision is how it allows us to open up more space in our
writing.  Of how, once the initial flurry of putting ideas to page is over,
we can return to each one and open it up, for ourselves and our readers,
creating space for appreciation and integration.

Here are some of the thoughts that reading your passage surfaced in my mind.

This principle is an opportunity to invite the presence of each soul
gathered--to invite them as fully as possible into the present moment. The
present moment is where we exercise our power of choice.  The past is
created from our moment to moment choices in the present.  The present is
where our choices determine our orientation to what comes next--to the
future.  The present is where we can act. The present is the place of no
fear--we fear what was and what might be--the present is the clear and open
space of action.  And as you mention, as we gain skill and our minds and
senses become more subtle, we expand our experience of the present and we
create more opportunities to act in an increasingly expansive relationship
to time.  

Cheers,
Wendy

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
Sent: March 2, 2006 8:10 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: A Quiet Time

Seems like things are a little quiet here in Spaceville, which doubtless
means that folks are thinking and doing good things. For myself, I am deep
into the process of writing another book - or as is usually the case, the
book is writing me. I never thought it would be simple, and in fact I have
resisted the urge for several years, but there comes a point where fools
rush in where more intelligent folks would take a pass. My objective is
simply to apply what we have been learning in the self-organizing open space
to the larger, and I think seriously more important, realm of our daily
lives in organizations of all sorts. At stake is the radical enhancement of
human performance, in search of what my friend Peter Vaill has called High
Performing Systems. Time will tell whether any of this pays off, but the
journey itself has been more than a little interesting as it passes through
some very familiar, but oddly unknown territory. You might get a flavor for
this in the following reflection upon one of the Four Principles. Needless
to say, thoughts and comments are most welcome. It is always good to have
some companions when you are out there thrashing about. :-)

**************************************************

 Whatever Happens is the Only Thing that Could Have   Obviously the grammar
of this principle is somewhat tortured, but the intent is very straight
forward. Do not worry about all the things that might have happened, could
have happened, or should have happened - focus on this present moment
because that is all there is right now. This is not to suggest that
reflections on the past, and hopes for the future have no place or purpose,
but the simple truth of the matter is that the past is over and the future
hasn't happened yet. All we have is now. And perhaps more to the point, if
our minds are filled with memories of the past, or dreams for the future, we
are very likely to miss, or fail to fully appreciate, what is taking place
right in front of our eyes. 
	A clear focus on the present moment is critical for our lives as
(and in) self-organizing systems, or as the people at the Santa Fe Institute
would say, Complex Adaptive Systems. And the key word is "adaptive." In
order to achieve the highest levels of performance (find the most effective
degree of fitness with ourselves and our environment) it is essential to be
in constant, conscious contact with the infinitely complex and changing
world. The complexity theorists have taught us that, even within a
nanosecond slice of time, the degree of complex interaction is absolutely
mind-boggling. Of course, much of this passes well below our capacity to
notice, which may appear fortunate for our peace of mind, however, it is
also a liability. Even the smallest changes can represent the foretaste of
emerging advantage or disaster. In the mythology of the chaos folks - this
is the fabled butterfly flapping its wings.
	It turns out that full, conscious awareness of the present moment is
no easy thing. Viewed as a rational project in which we might identify,
track, analyze, and respond to the myriad elements of our existence, it is
simply overwhelming and more than sufficient to fry to sharpest of minds and
the most powerful computers. That said, it may also be noted that we possess
a secret weapon; the process of self-organization itself. For 14 billion
years, this process has negotiated mind-blowing chaos and confusion with the
observable result that infinitely more complex and adaptive forms, animate
and inanimate, have come into being. In their own time they have manifested
fitness and demonstrated higher levels of performance - only to be replaced
by subsequent forms as the process continues. 
	Under the circumstances, discretion might dictate that we simply
caste our fate upon the winds of self-organization. And in fact, that is our
only option - however we might also learn to ride those winds in useful and
productive ways. As I said previously, it is all about letting go, but not
giving up. With patience, we may find our version of the surfer's Sweet Spot
on the wave. And with practice we can ride that sweet spot with elegance -
true High Performance. But it all begins with the present moment and the
realization that whatever happens is the only thing that could have.   

Harrison 

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>

Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com 
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