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<p class="MsoNormal">Harrison, <br></p><p class="MsoNormal">In reference to the common experience you refer to, I felt it, I honor it, and I
feel at peace with it. This will be my life work. The OS principles and the
heartfelt invitation is the gentle container that makes people feel safe --
safe to say out loud to themselves and to others what they are passionate
about. <span style=""> </span>I hosted my first Open Space this
past Sunday at the IONS conference in Tucson, Arizona. I felt ready
because of the wonderful Open Space community that came into my life...too many
to name. Specifically on that day, I do however want to thank Cassandra
O'Neill, Tenneson Woolf, Christine Whitney Sanchez and of course Diane
Gibeault, the angel on my shoulder. <br>
<br>
There are no words to express how one feels as you hear people, most of whom
were strangers to each other, share what is deep inside them as they discuss
topics that matter in their small groups. I felt the quietness of their
conversations. I went in there having been supported by a wonderful team (IONS
and Florida friends) who lovingly helped prepare the posters, the room,
the welcoming environment, etc. I felt at peace in this mission knowing that:
"whatever happens is the only thing that could have". We
expected about 25 people; almost double that number came and we were ready for
100. <br>
<br>
I had set as a goal to give the gift of time to the participants. Out of the 3
hours we had, 89% of that time would be theirs. I would keep my instructions to
a minimum as would the host and announcer.<span style="">
</span>That's what we did. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The theme of the IONS conference was the Global Shift
meshing science and consciousness, objective and subjective, data and intuition
– all the stuff that is so much a part of Wave Rider. Using Bruce Lipton’s
concepts (author and cell biologist), perhaps OS is the membrane or container around
the cell that acts as the semiconductor allowing life to breath in and out. I honor the invisibility of it all once we quickly do our thing. <br></p>
<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 11:29 AM, Harrison Owen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net" target="_blank">hhowen@verizon.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div link="blue" vlink="purple" lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Somewhere along the line the idea crept in that a
self-organizing world severely limited, if not eliminated, human initiative. With
thoughts such as these it is not surprising that many would find the notion of
self-organization abhorrent, and definitely to be resisted. After all -- if
true we would be reduced to the level of zombies whose fate and future lay
totally out of our hands.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I believe the truth of the matter to be radically different.
And the basis of my belief is our common experience in the 1000’s of Open
Spaces we have enjoyed. I take it as a given that the essence of Open Space is
the primal power of self organization – no news there. </span></font><font size="2" face="Wingdings"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></font><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> Every time
we open space the forces of self organization are invited to be fully present. Of
course, those forces are there all the time, but we do seem to make best effort
to keep them under control. </span></font><font size="2" face="Wingdings"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></font><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font><font size="2" face="Wingdings"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></font><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Now ask yourself – what is the common experience in
Open Space for both First Timers and Old Hands? I don’t think you would
describe it as restrictive, dis-empowering, or imprisoning! Indeed –
quite the opposite. I grant you some folks get a little carried away, but I
have heard it said that the experience was one of radical freedom and intense
creativity. I remember one total skeptic saying, as the event came to a
conclusion, that never before had he experienced such respect and acceptance in
a group – and never before had his feeling of personal power and
contribution been as great. Such feelings might be mistaken as the outpouring
of rampant individualism. Something that Anne Rand might be proud of. But that
is hardly the case for these same people and others as well speak of a deep
sense of community, being in the presence of brothers and sisters who only hours
before were total strangers – of Coming Home.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">I have often heard another remark which is rather
bitter/sweet: “This has been so wonderful – too bad we have to go
back to reality.” Or it is said that it is time to go back to the “real
world.” Sad statements for sure, and were it to turn out that the
experience in Open Space WAS reality – those statements are tragic. I am
quite aware that life is filled with a full measure of chaos, confusion and
conflict. Indeed all three are essential for life, and all three predictably
show up in the course of any juicy Open Space. But the difference is that in
Open Space the flow of emergent events is honored thereby allowing them to
reach their natural resolution. Nobody attempts to coral them into submission.
The Law of Two Feet applies. </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">At the end of the day Open Space Technology is not about
having great meetings. Nor is it simply another tool in the facilitators’
tool box, although both are doubtless true. For me the true equity I find in
OST is the ongoing natural experiment and learning experience of living
intentionally in a self-organizing world. Perhaps it is for this reason that I
find the enhancement of the facilitator’s role and tools to be less than
interesting – unless that enhancement involved the reduction of that role
to the point of total invisability. </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Harrison</span></font><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Harrison Owen</span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">189 Beaucaire Ave</span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Camden</span></font><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">, ME 04843</span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">207-763-3261 (Summer)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">301-365-2093 (Winter)</span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Website <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com" target="_blank">www.openspaceworld.com</a>
</span></font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Personal Website <a href="http://www.ho-image.com" target="_blank">www.ho-image.com</a>
</span></font></p>
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