creating the Community Bulletin Board

[Raffi Aftandelian]

oh, and one more thing (i enjoyed what you wrote suzanne, thanks!)

Another friend mentioned the difficulty she had in really getting into OST.

In the beginning of the day, just after the first sessions got started, she
said to me that she'd really wanted to see a session in the middle of the
day where people'd share what they learned thus far, a sense-making session.

I asked, "Well, why don't you post that as a session?" She explained that
since it wasn't announced at the beginning that people wouldn't know about
it. I suggested that perhaps she could go to the different sessions and let
them know. And that seemed outside of her comfort zone and she never
announced the session. Later she shared that the suggestion that she post
the topic as a session was not the support she was seeking. Who knows, maybe
she just wanted to be heard in the moment. 

And while overall she was satisfied with the day, she had difficulty really
engaging because for most of the sessions she saw that conveners already had
a *plan* for the session-- she was imagining that there would be more of an
emergent process. And so she couldn't really get into the day.

I've found - and am gradually learning to let go- that there is no such
thing as a perfect opening. We all learn so differently (and I think we know
so little each of us about how we learn) that we can only really give our
best shot at giving a clear opening. I think it's impossible to have a day
that's going to suit and work for everyone.  Ultimately, it's up to each of
us how we choose to show up.

Having participated in a fair number of OST's and as a co-host (and
participant) of a monthly gathering that uses an OST/Whole Person Process 
hybrid, all I can say is that I'm still learning-- very much in the early
stages -- to follow what has heart and meaning. So, when I hear the words of
my friend above, I try to both listen and also see what gets in the way of
letting go...of the attachment to getting "doing" OST right...

Any other perspectives?

appreciatively,
Raffi

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