<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2713.1100" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=240410019-02052002><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Harrison and all you lovers out there,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=240410019-02052002><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>Thank you for once again speaking to my heart. Two weeks ago, I
came to the end of an exhilarating, exhausting whirlwind of work that has
carried me over the past couple of years. Multiple adventures with many
dear clients and colleagues. And then it was over. No wind at
all. Grief set in. I have been asking many questions, not the least
of which is, <EM><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000 size=3>What am I
going to do with the rest of my life?</FONT></EM></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT color=#0000ff size=2>I</FONT><SPAN
class=240410019-02052002><FONT color=#0000ff size=2> find myself in</FONT>
</SPAN></FONT>That incredible time without time in the moment between breathing
out and breathing in. Nothing there and everything is potential.<SPAN
class=240410019-02052002> <FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=2>The
pregnant void. I am doing my best to rest in the arms of the
Universe.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=240410019-02052002><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=240410019-02052002><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff
size=2>And so I appreciate all of you who are holding the space, in love and
awakened awareness, so that I might rest and wait . . . until it is time to
cross the space. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><EM><SPAN class=240410019-02052002></SPAN></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT color=#008080>Christine
Whitney Sanchez</FONT> <BR><FONT color=#008080>Milagro Organizational
Consulting, Inc.</FONT> <BR><FONT color=#008080>2717 E. Mountain Sky
Avenue</FONT> <BR><FONT color=#008080>Phoenix, AZ 85048-8990</FONT>
<BR><FONT color=#008080>480.759.0262 voice</FONT> <BR><FONT
color=#008080>480.759.0403 fax</FONT> <BR> <BR><EM><FONT
color=#800080>Inviting miracles in our Work!</FONT></EM> </FONT></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Harrison
Owen<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, May 02, 2002 6:11 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> Love and Crossing Open
Space<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>There has never been a question in my mind -- Love
is what makes the space go round. Or something. But how to understand that
Love? Or better, How to be it? <BR><BR>Love is one of those wonderful words,
at least in English, that can mean just about anything you want. It seems to
stretch all the way from raw fornication to Divine Essence, and I suppose
everything in between. In the very early '80s I found myself thinking a lot
about Transformation in Organizations and the way in which the Griefwork
process enabled that process for individuals -- and for organizations as well,
I thought. Starting from the work of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross and friends I
identified a sequence of stages it seemed we all went through when chaos
shattered our lives in one way or another. Shock/Anger, Denial, Memories,
Despair, Open Space, End/Vision. There is good old Open Space right in the
middle! But for me at the time, it had nothing to do with a "Meeting
Methodology" -- rather the searing/peaceful moment when it is all over and all
starting. That incredible time without time in the moment between breathing
out and breathing in. Nothing there and everything is potential. We all reach
such a space as individuals or organizations sooner or later. Nobody would
choose it for sure. So how do we cross that space?<BR><BR>Some of choose not
to, and that is called "cashing in the chips" -- But if we do cross it, or at
least when I have crossed it, the "decision" to go was made in response to a
question -- <I>What was I going to do with the rest of my life?</I> Note it is
a question and not a statement or a plan. Questions create space. Statements
close it off. And the quality of asking always seemed to me to be critical. It
can not be an idle question -- rather a question posed in Love. <BR><BR>But
what would this Love be? For me, Love has two faces. One (which we all enjoy)
is called Acceptance. We are taken just the way we are, warts and all, no
further question. But that is not the only face of love. The other is
Challenge. And we often don't like this one too much. This is the expectation
that we become everything that we could be... nothing more, nothing less.
Love, it seems to me, is neither Acceptance nor Challenge, but rather the
space in between. And the magnitude of Love is measured by the distance
between. Great Love is ultimate acceptance and ultimate challenge.
<BR><BR>When we hear the question (What are you going to do with the rest of
your life?) asked with compassionate acceptance and radical challenge it
becomes possible to deal with our inadequacies and failures while
simultaneously moving on, across The Open Space to some new Vision for our
existence. At least that is my story.<BR><BR>When Open Space Technology
appeared in the spirit of Two Martinis, what struck me was the way in which
this age old transformational drama seemed to be taking place before my eyes.
People were crossing Open Space. And so the name -- Open Space. And I believe
every time we Open Space, that drama <I>can</I> take place again (no
guarantees) provided we start with a question (which itself is Open Space) and
travel with Love. Not just warm fuzzy love, but also the hard Love of radical
challenge. <BR><BR>So if we are to talk about the central act or meaning
of Holding Space -- I think <I>Love</I> will do it. Once the space is open and
the folks are at work, there is nothing to do but take folks just the way they
are, no matter what shows up AND expect the very best. Acceptance and
Challenge -- just Love. I find that really doing all of the above is not
accomplished with out energy and intention. So at the end of every Open Space,
when I have really done my job, I feel pretty much like wilted spaghetti, but
happily so, <BR><BR>So that went on a little longer than I anticipated. And if
you are a real glutton for punishment you might check out my last book, "The
Power of Spirit."<BR><BR>Harrison <BR> <BR><X-SIGSEP>
<P></X-SIGSEP>
<DIV align=center>Harrison Owen<BR>7808 River Falls Drive<BR>Potomac, MD 20854
USA<BR>phone 301-365-2093<BR>Open Space Training <A
href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/"
eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.com</A> <BR>Open Space Institute <A
href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/"
eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</A><BR>Personal website <A
href="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm"
eudora="autourl">http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</A><BR><BR><FONT
color=#0000ff><U>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR></U></FONT>To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options,<BR>view the archives of <FONT
color=#0000ff><U>oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu<BR></U></FONT>Visit: <A
href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"
eudora="autourl"><FONT
color=#0000ff><U>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</A><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></U></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>