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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Peter</span></font><font color=red
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'> – I think it is
probably fair to say that for most folks on planet Earth the understanding of
the Present (</span></font><font color=red face=Arial><span style='font-family:
Arial;color:red'>NOW</span></font><font color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial;color:red'>) is much closer to (if not the same as)
the Japanese. Only in the West (or western influenced) areas do you get the
radical disassociation of past, present and future. This has many interesting
effects, not the least of which is our rather interesting view of History as
something over and done with. Of course this understanding creates jobs for
Historians who “study the dead past.” Might it not be better to
concentrate on the living present (</span></font><font color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial;color:red'>NOW</span></font><font color=red
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'>)? I am not a psychotherapist
(although I may need one) – but this fragmentation of time represents a
distinct disadvantage, I think. Perhaps it is even pathological. Over the 20
years of The Open Space experiment it has occurred to me that one of the major
impacts of being consciously in Open Space is that the deep fissures between
the Present and the Past and Future are somehow overcome. Past and future are
all included, and are experienced, I believe, as seamlessly existent in the
present moment. Many people don’t notice this, and some who do are quite
perplexed – but I think it is a healing moment. I guess that is why I
described Open Space as “Expanding our Now” in a book of the same
title.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Harrison </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> </span></font><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>OSLIST</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> [mailto:</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>OSLIST</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b></span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Peter</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Wallman<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Sunday, </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>April 24, 2005</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>11:49 PM</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> </span></font><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>OSLIST</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: Learning to Expand
our </span></font><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>NOW</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Hi</span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>This is my first post on this list although i have
been listening for some time. I am based in Sydney and am an occasional open
space facilitator.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>this wonderful idea reminds me of a Japan Australia
dialogue i attended about a decade ago in which i was playing the role of the
rapporteur. the topic was 'responsibilities to future generations' and was
sponsored by the Japanese Foundation for Future Generations which ,by the way,
was one of the major sponsors of the NGO part of the Rio Earth Summit.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>There were representatives from heritage, environment,
business, media etc - an incredibly rich dialogue ensued but after a while it
became obvious that we were talking about different ideas of past, present and
future. I remember vividly one of the Japanese describing the 'present' in
Japanese as meaning ' the dynamic domain in which the past and the future
interact' - so it seems to me that we have something to learn from this.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color=blue
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:blue'>Peter Wallman</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color=blue
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:blue'>+61 2 9882 3196</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color=blue
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:blue'>PO Box 7103
McMahons Pt NSW 2060 Australia</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color=blue
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:blue'>peter@passionmaps.com</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color=blue
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:blue'>www.passionmaps.com</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color=blue
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:blue'>"The
figure whose attitude best expresses the passion</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color=blue
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:blue'>that moves it
is most worthy of praise."</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><i><font size=1 color=blue
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.5pt;color:blue;font-style:italic'>.....Leonardo
da Vinci</span></font></i></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ah -- Funda. Let me reveal a mystery to you. You just
can't get away from<br>
NOW. It is all you have! Past is over, future hasn't happened yet. What you<br>
got is NOW. And the only question (at least for me) is how big is your NOW?<br>
If it is a tiny little "now" desperation quickly sets in. How are you
going<br>
to get everything (you want to do) squeezed into this anorexic (pathetically<br>
thin) now? You can't! And the more you try the worse it gets.<br>
<br>
But there is an alternative. Just make your NOW BIGGER! It may sound a<br>
little weird, but with some effort (not to be confused with work), NOW<br>
becomes big enough to include what we call the Past and also the Future. The<br>
Past, with all of its richness of experience (including the pain) is always<br>
available. And the Future is not some far off thing -- but dreams coming<br>
into focus NOW. For me it is a matter of opening my (personal) space. You<br>
can do this in all sorts of ways, but (I hate to say it) Visualization can<br>
help! :-)<br>
<br>
Harrison</span></font></p>
</div>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<pre style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'><x-sigsep>--</span></font></pre>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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