Exactly so, Doug. Thanks for the insight. Yes, we are taking part, whether we think so or not..... so then we must take responsibility for HOW we take part. OST helps us learn to act with integrity toward others by teaching us how to let go of being fearful, controlling, and untrusting. It does so by requiring that the facilitator completely let go of content and almost completely let go of process, while at the same time inviting the participants to heartily engage in both content and process. The facilitator (and to a lesser degree, the participant) then has the opportunity to learn that every place and every moment and every person are filled with wisdom, intelligence, and grace. And we learn that very often, the best thing we can do is to get out of the way so the inherent goodness and wisdom of others can emerge and be expressed. We learn that our silence and stillness support insight, growth, and deep learning for ourselves and others.
Once we begin to master our fear, control, and lack of trust, the part of OST that requires the separation between facilitator and participant begins to feel limiting because at a deeper level we know the separation is a false one. We're all in this together. At some point we realize that if we make the choice to repress our expression of OUR wisdom, intelligence and grace, then we deprive ourselves and the whole of some necessary learning. The loss isn't catastrophic because there will be other times and places and people where the potential for the necessary learning will emerge again, but the loss is still a loss, a lost opportunity to learn this lesson and enable the emergence of the next lesson. The loss means our individual and collective learning slows down and our individual and collective suffering lingers longer. This isn't something to feel guilty about. We've all done it. It's just something to know, and to take responsibility for. The book The Celestine Prophecy articulated this piece very well. There are moments that call for us to be silent, and moments that call for us to speak. Part of the art of living is to become aware of each, and to take responsibility for both. If the moment calls for our wisdom and we withhold it, we interfere with learning and extend the duration of suffering. Everyone has a part to play. We are each absolutely essential to the whole. We must each develop the courage of silence, and also the courage of speech. If we fear either one, we need to find a way to let go of that fear so we can bring our whole selves to each moment. OST helps us master our fear of silence. It may also mask our fear of speech. Where ever we are in our learning, adorning ourselves with the hat labeled "OST facilitator" does not negate our deeper duty to be aware of what the moment is calling for from us. Our deepest duty is to be aware and to respond wholely to that awareness. Julie -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Douglas D. Germann, Sr. Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 6:16 AM To: [email protected] Subject: A duty to take part? Larry, Michael, Julie-- Step by step, higher and deeper you have taken this conversation. Thank you each for the experience. An observation that came to me from your conversation: we are perhaps just at the threshold place where scientists were when someone discovered the principle of observer participancy: there is nothing observed without the observer. In some real way the observer participates whether he or she thinks so or not. We are part of the system. So we are taking part. :-Doug. * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
