<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div>Yes indeed if I happened to meet up with Open Space in my life it was because of Sharon Joy Kleitsch and I have continued to journey with her ever since. Her grace, wisdom, vision and love that extends to community and globally which she gives so generously is intermingled with trust. Trust in human kind and trust that we can make this world a better place together. Many had the opportunity to connect with her ageless and boundless enthusiasm of life and camaraderie here at the World Open Space in St. Petersburg. She is like a pied piper to all generations on so many important issues not the least of which climate change, the economy and science. <br>
<br></div>Now on the matter of trust, I add these 2 cents that has led me to the most profound trust of all that: "Open Space always works".<br><br>I can remember as if it was yesterday the first times when I facilitated Open Space. I assure you that I did not trust myself much.I worried that I would forget the instructions; that I would not speak loudly enough, that people might be confused, that I did not have enough experience and that I did not "get it enough". I remember trying to will myself not to control, not to predict, not to please and to let go my perfectionist ways. And yes I meditated too. <br>
<br>Yet in spite of all this distrust and nervousness, I jumped in because the fear of not doing this work exceeded my fear of doing it. I knew deep inside of me that Open Space was a gift, a gift to be shared. I just had to "do it"! <br>
<br>And in the end, it made no bit of difference.Open Space always worked and my performance (tisk!) soon became the invisibility of my and our role as facilitators as participants rushed to the middle and wrote the topics they were passionate about. They figured it out. <br>
<br>To this day, I treasure all the emotions of fear and distrust that were inside of me because I feel now that I can feel them with the client and the planning team as they face something that is often so diametrically opposed to how they host meetings and engage others in a world where they often seems to be a lot of distrust. <br>
<br></div><div>Ultimately, I believe that the journey of trust is a shared journey. While I can inspire some trust in others, ultimately the real trust is the one that grows inside each individual and group. I am still in awe of this. And every time, this seems a great miracle. <br>
<br> I think trust is really love. Love of self and others. And once we feel this, trust just seems to be there.<br></div><br></div>Suzanne<br><div><div><br><br><br><br><br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Feb 2, 2014 at 11:38 AM, Eric <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:stars2man@yahoo.com" target="_blank">stars2man@yahoo.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div><div style="font-size:18pt;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif"><div><span>Wow, powerful discussions again!</span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
<span>A little story:</span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif"><br><span></span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
<span>Here in Tampa Bay we have found a little group so clear and powerful that it might help others on this subject. It really
started with Sharon Joy. Not only do her friends trust her, but a great segment of the community trusts her. As will most anyone who speaks with her! This is because she really expresses trust and truth in all that she says and all that she does.</span></div>
<div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif"><br><span></span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
<span>Essentially, Sharon Joy is Trust! And falling back a bit deeper now. Sharon Joy has come to Trust Herself. She recognized her native instinct and feelings about everything as her own personal bedrock in Trust. As countless Guru's, theologians and philosophers have
said it all comes from the inside. She Trusts herself, and recognized she was enough to bring together the square root of one-percent of the population to accept her perception. <br></span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
<br><span></span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif"><span>Another bit of science there, or philosophy, that in crowd theory (or something like that) the </span><span>"square root of one-percent" of the population is enough people needed to get a the whole crowd to move in one voice. Sharon Joy decided that Tampa Bay needed to be moved by Love, or by the Heart Field (if you prefer the science). Thus,
She decided one day that her love and trust in herself was enough to move her friends and together that was enough to move Tampa Bay. . . <br></span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
<br><span></span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif"><span>I Love Sharon Joy, She gave me away at my wedding ;-) So I believe her power so much that I'm convinced Tampa Bay is enough to MOVE THE PLANET. . . </span></div>
<div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif"><br><span></span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
<span>Thus, the point of the story, it really only takes One! </span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
<span>Anyone can change the meeting, the community, the city, state, nation, or Planet!</span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
And so it is!</div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">eric<br></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif">
<br><span></span></div><div style="font-style:normal;font-size:24px;background-color:transparent;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif"><span><br></span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:18pt">
<div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:12pt"> <div dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font face="Arial"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b> Sunday, February 2, 2014 9:06 AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> Re: [OSList] Trust<br> </font> </div> <div><br><div><div><div><div class="im"><div><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1f497d">Wow, I rarely say anything on the listserve but I must react to this. The trust factor is really a big one for me in my work in Washington DC these days. From every angle, top down and bottom up and sideways, there is little trust. The pertebation of more diverse voices makes sense and a wider invitation and I’m getting resistance there for many reasons…all controlling and forceful and fearful driven. Anyhow, keep these stories going. Brenden, when you walked that circle and others, can you describe your magic that day or is it not possible? I imagine the prework and the centering before and all that but what reflections have you on that, if any?</span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:11.0pt;color:#1f497d">Carmella Mazzotta</span></div></div><div><div class="h5"><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #b5c4df 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><div><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""><b>To:</b> World wide Open Space Technology email list<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [OSList] Trust</span></div></div></div><div> </div><div><div>A lovely little side-step from the initiating story...</div></div><div><div> </div></div><div>The truth about trust was brought home to me a few years ago when I facilitated an Open Space in Broome in the north west of Western Australia. The context was about 100 or so folks gathering to consider how to provide better mental health services for all the people of the region. There was about 50:50 presence of indigenous and non-indigenous people, service users and service providers. I was
fortunate enough to have an Aboriginal co-facilitator accompany me - now that's another story!</div><div><div> </div></div><div><div>The day went well with a very enthusiastic closing circle indicating that participants and sponsors were pleased with the opportunity to engage as equals, the depth of conversation and the attractive action outcomes. </div>
</div><div><div> </div></div><div><div>Now for 'the gift' </div></div><div><div> </div></div><div><div>At dinner afterwards, I was passing by an old Aboriginal woman who waved me over and softly said something like:</div>
</div><div><div> </div></div><div><div><span> </span>"Young fella, when you walked around the circle this morning, I didn't understand much of what you were saying but I felt your energy and I trusted it.</div>
</div><div><div><span> </span>I knew this was going to be a good day...and it was"</div></div><div><div> </div></div><div><div>I have carried those words of affirmation as a blessing ever since.</div></div>
<div><div> </div></div><div><div>Cheers</div></div><div><div>Brendan</div></div><div><div><div> </div></div><div><div><div>
</div></div><div><div> </div><div><div><div>On 02/02/2014, at 3:54 AM, Elwin and Joan wrote:</div></div><div><br><br></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>Well, I can’t help myself here. I normally write to Harrison on the “side” but now I’m in Open Space.</span></div>
</div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>Trust!</span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white">
<span style>My Brother, you
continue to speak the profound, in the most humble manner. Your “trust” response provokes me to write to the List, because it speaks to me so very deeply.</span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div>
</div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>I now sit poised to Open Space three days from now for the USAID Mission in Sarajevo, Bosnia (thank you, ho) and your reference to integrity, authenticity and trust nearly brought me to tears!</span></div>
</div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>Upon entering this US Government bastion of organizational cadence, clearly in “harms-way”, I realized that my demeanor, shaped by 20 years of
OST, had an immediate effect. Senior management, although anxious, leads me to believe they think I‘m authentic. </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white">
<span style>So, on Wednesday, I Open Space for 2 ½ days for 10 Americans and 40 Bosnians and the theme is: “What are the opportunities to improve our job satisfaction and performance, and enhance the Mission’s Goal?”</span></div>
</div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>Whoa! Is this going to be fun! And it is all because, like most of you, experience in Open Space gives us the ability to be truly
“present”.</span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>While I’m at it, you can view a bit of video of an Open Space I recently did for about 65 citizens of my hometown of Portland Connecticut. The film crew struggled a bit but if you’re patient it “picks up” at the 4 minute mark. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://portlandplan.org/http:/portlandplan.org/http:/" target="_blank">http://portlandplan.org</a></span></div>
</div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> Thank you Michael Herman!!</span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>Open Space. What a gift!</span></div>
</div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>Love you Harrison.</span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style> </span></div></div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>Elwin Guild</span></div>
</div><div><div style="background:white"><span style>Future Development International</span></div></div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div> </div> </div> </div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr">Suzanne Daigle<br>Open Space Facilitator<br>NuFocus Strategic Group<br><br>FL 941-359-8877 <br>Cell: 203-722-2009<br><a href="http://www.nufocusgroup.com" target="_blank">www.nufocusgroup.com</a><br>
<a href="mailto:s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com" target="_blank">s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com</a><br>twitter @suzannedaigle<br></div>
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