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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Hi, dear Frank –</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>You wrote,
describing your frustration about helping others see the OS light…:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><<i><span style='font-style:italic'>You make me
laugh Lisa, calling me a crankypants! I can get so crankypants about OS and I
hate that. It blocks me from finding creative solutions and making the quality
of connections that could lead to productive organizational transformation. I
had a good nap today during some of the committee meetings and got some good
writing done. I also had a few inspiring side conversations. I've also had some
ideas for how I can invite OS into this organization down the line through a
more productive kind of long term dialogue and relationship building. I just
get so impatient sometimes</span></i>.> <br>
<br>
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Well that made me laugh in return. For any
of you who may have met Frank (who for this time and space has elevated himself
to the title of Senior Crankypants – not…Seņor Crankypants, Frank?)
– the title I feel more closely describes Frank is Mr. WonderPants. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Frank, you have such a joyful appreciation
for co-learning, for discovery, for play … and you are dedicated to
making the world more wonderful though our care for each other and for Mother
Earth.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Having said that, I understand your
impatience. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>You know how it seems as if people do not
think of using facilitators until something is really breaking or hurting too
much? To me, it is like how so many people do not focus on proactive wellness
but wait until their arm is falling off before they go see a doctor or shift
their diet. Humans, we are delightful creatures, but we sometimes do not
remember things our bodies may already know. And we let our little brains make
logical decisions, thinking that is the smartest way to be.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>And what is it that the American comedian Emo
Phillips says about the brain, dear Eric Lilius?</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>“I used to think the
brain was the most wonderful organ in the body.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:1.0in'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>And then I realized it was
telling me this.”</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>So we have big hearts (which we sometimes
don’t listen to) and big brains and we forget that spirit, intuition,
possibility, potential, breath, joy, connection, co-creation…is even
bigger.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Sometimes people don’t think of using
Open Space until things really hurt, everything else they have tried has
failed, and they have no other options. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Sometimes when I’ve facilitated a
conference in Open Space a great number of participants have said in Closing Circle
that they never want to go back to the conventional way of being in a
conference again. And then the conference host never does OS again because
they did not feel comfortable with the loss of (perceived) control.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Sometimes I have done an Open Space
conference-within-a-conference and it has sucked all the most interesting
people out of the regular conference, because there was room to breathe, to
name, to puzzle over, to share, to ponder.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Sometimes it has taken me years to gently
revisit the idea of Open Space for a certain conference each year, and for the
first few years there is no interest, then I get to do a little ‘mini’,
then a bigger ‘mini’, then a mid-sized OS, and so it grows.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Sometimes after doing OS for years at a
conference suddenly there will be a new conference (or organizational)
coordinator and they will decide to drop OS because the new person in charge
wants to make their mark (be known for changing the design).</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Breathe….let go….breathe…let
go…breathe…dance-play-work-share-explore-discover-celebrate…let
go…</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Pardon my ramble.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>On a more practical note: I have found that
naming other similar situations… </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>‘so-and-so
intentional community has used OS in this way’</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>‘so-and-so co-housing
community used OS for such-and-such’</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>‘you know, you can do
a totally participant-driven knowledge and resources exchange conference which
is also a model used around the world for sustainability, and it only takes 1
facilitator and it takes all the headache out of handling proposals and
selecting presenters’</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>…is useful, as is naming certain deliverables
that the person you are talking with would be interested in. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Mrs. I-believe-in-youPants</span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>___________________________</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold'>L
i s a H e f t</span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>Consultant,
Facilitator, Educator</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>O p e n i n g S
p a c e</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'><a
href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net"><font color=black><span
style='color:black'>lisaheft@openingspace.net</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'><a
href="http://www.openingspace.net"><font color=black><span style='color:black'>www.openingspace.net</span></font></a>
</span></font></p>
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