Wilderness Anniversary

The real trouble with this world of ours is not
that it is an unreasonable world, nor
even that it is a reasonable one.
The commonest kind of trouble is that it is
nearly reasonable, but not quite.
Life is not an illogicality, yet
it is a trap for logicians.
It looks just a little more mathematical
and regular than it is; its’
exactitude is obvious; but
its’ inexactitude is hidden;
its’ wildness lies in wait.

This is G K Chesterton, via John Mauldin’s weekly investing letter. After I went to business school, I went off to become a wilderness course instructor with Outward Bound USA. That leap began a long journey and practice which continues to attempt (and more and more often achieve) a mutual sort of marrying of the spirit, adventure, learning and uncertainty of wilderness expeditioning with the bottom-line, critical thinking, business results organizations need to survive.

Facilitating OpenSpaceTech meetings and summits is for me a direct and logical extension of my wilderness trips leadership. My practice of Open Space allows me to invite over and over again the productive gathering of the reasonable and all that is yet beyond reasoning, in business and community organizations. What we used to do in groups of 12 and 15, and call teambuilding is now possible in groups of 120 and even 1500. I call that “organization building” — and it’s every bit an expedition!

Tomorrow is the 14th anniversary of my last salaried paycheck, my own personal open space for the depth of life and the business results that pay the bills. The daring has made all the difference. I offer a big, universal sort of “thank you” to the many many friends and family and colleagues who’ve supported this grand expedition. On we go!