this reminds me of a conversation with merrelyn emery during a search conference and participative design training program, exploring the question of whether or not it was ethical to do search conference in search of the future of some nasty corporate interests. i've heard that question pop up here over the years, too... would you open space for the corporate interest or that? there have been observations along the way that some street gangs and terrorist groups might be operating in open space ways. <br>
<br>merrelyn's response years ago was "of course i'd work with those companies, even on in those areas where they're trying to do nasty things... how are they ever going to change if we don't get in there and work with them?" like wendy sez, expansino and contraction, inseparable. <br>
<br>and this is what i think is the greatest learning/teaching for everyone in open space, participants everywhere... that our behavior in this space, list space, community space, together space, world space... makes a difference. that there is a field and we are part of it. <br>
<br>open space practice, as facilitator AND/OR participant is, i thnk, ultimately about learning to sense the larger field AND simultaneously take action. four principles, it's a big world and you're not in charge... and two feet, you have and do make choices and actions matter. <br>
<br>i understand our practice as the refinement of our pulsation between these poles. until our every step is taken not just IN, but AS full awareness of the whole field. in practical terms i quoted yesterday from birgitt, on language... in organizations, through the practice of open space, front-line workers come to understand and own the big picture, and senior staffers come to appreciate the minute-by-minute challenges of the front-line -- so that everyone is working together.<br>
<br>the space is the space. not good or bad. and expansion and contraction are probably individual choices. did the space contract a few days ago, or did some people contract and others follow along, until somebody(ies) chose to be otherwise? <br>
<br>the pain, i think, comes in being swept along by the tide of expansion OR contraction, in being a captive of that wave rather than a surfer atop it. we learn to use expansion to grow, and contraction to make changes and ends. both are needed, both are dangerous, but since they're not separable, i guess we just need to be more and more aware, and more and more careful! <br>
<br>m<br><br><br clear="all"> <br>--<br><br>Michael Herman<br>Michael Herman Associates<br><br><a href="http://www.michaelherman.com">http://www.michaelherman.com</a><br><a href="http://www.ronanparktrail.com">http://www.ronanparktrail.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org">http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org</a><br><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org">http://www.openspaceworld.org</a><br><br>312-280-7838 (mobile)<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 10:42 AM, ashley cooper <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mail.easilyamazed@gmail.com">mail.easilyamazed@gmail.com</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;">
I agree with you, Wendy, about the essence of contraction and expansion. I'm intrigued by how people perceive/experience 'this space'. There is a great deal of diversity present in the OSlist space... a fundamental aspect that keeps it vibrant. <br>
<br>And I'm intrigued by the perception that areas of the space may feel closed to moments of contraction. <br><br>What are some of the forms that arise as a system learns to breathe together?<div><div></div><div class="h5">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 11:33 AM, Wendy Farmer-O'Neil <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:wendy@xe.net" target="_blank">wendy@xe.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;">
No Erik. That would neither be possible nor desirable. Contraction and Expansion. Breathing. The breath is an essential part of both the form and the essence of Open Space and Life.<br>
<br>
Love,<br><font color="#888888">
Wendy</font><div><div></div><div><br>
<br>
On 21-Nov-09, at 6:33 AM, Erik Fabian wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Is this space closed to moments of contraction?<br>
<br>
Erik<br>
<br>
<br>
On Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:12:32 -0600, Denise Tennen <<a href="mailto:denisetennen@comcast.net" target="_blank">denisetennen@comcast.net</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
Thank you so much for your comments, Wendy<br>
<br>
Denise<br>
On Nov 20, 2009, at 4:51 AM, Wendy Farmer-O'Neil wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
In my experience, truth is relative. It depends essentially on my<br>
perspective. The vaster my perspective, the more many-faceted<br>
truth appears. Until the very notion of truth becomes more of a<br>
living process than a static fact.<br>
<br>
I have experienced contraction in the resonant field of OSList<br>
throughout this conversation. To me that signals the presence of<br>
aggression. Aggression can be very subtle or very blatant. Either<br>
way, it stimulates hurt, often in those other than its target.<br>
<br>
I am a student of Aikido, so violence, non-violence, aggression,<br>
its evocation, its arising, and its transformation are my daily<br>
bread. I still have a lifetime�s worth to learn about it. I<br>
believe that the purpose of conflict is harmony. What I have<br>
learned so far, is that aggression is a destructive, life denying<br>
vector in that equation. And that clean heart anger is a<br>
generative life affirming vector.<br>
<br>
I have yet to hear clean heart anger in this conversation. I have<br>
heard a lot of aggression in a variety of forms and guises. I have<br>
also heard hurt, pain, sadness, confusion, frustration, to name a few.<br>
<br>
I will share what my experience has been in service to transparency<br>
if it serves no better purpose.<br>
<br>
I feel contraction when I hear OS and NVC spoken of as tools<br>
because for me, they have become profound ways of being in the world.<br>
<br>
I feel contraction when I hear pain in Chris Corrigan�s voice when<br>
he wonders why this conversation needs to unfold this way between<br>
people he cares about.<br>
<br>
I feel contraction when I hear blame, shame and name-calling.<br>
<br>
I feel contraction when I recognize the operation of a poisoned<br>
well argument.<br>
<br>
I feel contraction when I hear someone caught in the steel jaws of<br>
an old hurt.<br>
<br>
I feel contraction when i hear the pain of someone who has had to<br>
fight too damn hard for every inch and breath.<br>
<br>
I feel contraction when I see more unsubscribes in a day than I<br>
usually see in a month.<br>
<br>
I feel care, concern, pain, and sadness when I think of all of you<br>
in this circle who are listening or speaking. It is you who I most<br>
want to speak to right now.<br>
<br>
Here is my hand.<br>
<br>
I offer it in absolute commitment. I will never put you out of my<br>
heart. I will hold space with and for you through it all. Even in<br>
our most shadowed , unloved and disowned places. I�m game to face<br>
the monsters of the deep. I prefer them to the shallows.<br>
<br>
I will name that the use of violence and aggression cloaked as the<br>
servant of truth has been the strategy of many who would prefer to<br>
silence, persecute, oppress and discredit those whose opinions or<br>
choices were in conflict with their own agendas. It has been the<br>
root of much human suffering. I can feel suffering present on this<br>
list right now. I don�t like it. I won�t support it. I am<br>
saddened that people I admire and respect are behaving this way. I<br>
am requesting that it stop. I am also requesting that the back-<br>
channel story-telling stop. If you do not have the integrity to<br>
air your complaints directly, at least have the decency not to<br>
perpetrate slander. (And I am speaking about everyone involved not<br>
one person in particular, because I�m certain it�s going on in<br>
several directions.)<br>
<br>
I guess we have finally grown up. We are apparently big enough,<br>
brave enough, and ready enough to face a real dragon. Can�t wait<br>
to see what we do with the treasure.<br>
<br>
In deepest respect and with great love for you all,<br>
<br>
Wendy<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 20-Nov-09, at 1:12 AM, Michael Herman wrote:<br>
<br>
Wendy Farmer-O'Neil<br>
CEO Prospera Consulting<br>
<a href="mailto:wendy@xe.net" target="_blank">wendy@xe.net</a><br>
1-800-713-2351<br>
<br>
The moment of change is the only poem. -- Adrienne Rich<br>
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1-800-713-2351<br>
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