[Oe List ...] [Dialogue] ToP Methods

[PSchrijnen at aol.com]

Yes, Jim, those innocent questions take us to our historical identity and  
our current ones.
 
Susan puts her finger on it. RS-1 was an altar call. Others would say  it 
actually was two things. One, a call to live your life. Secondly, it was a  
call to a particular lifestyle, a specific cause: order ecumenical, 
ecumenical  institute etc. Which aim of RS1 was actually the more important? 
 
And then Jim makes an assumption. he says- how have 'we' evolved? To which  
Carlos replies clearly and comments helpfully. Is that 'we' today a helpful 
 distinction? Does it help me live my life today? does it help me focus on 
what I  need to focus on for the next 30 years? The distinction of 'we' that 
we use on  this dialogue is a wonderful part of my life. More and more of 
are even getting  onto facebook. Isn't it fun? And at the same time, this 
'we' is only part of my  life, only part of my identity. 
 
Comparing what I do to what Joe did is hard for me to do. It was along time 
 ago that I met him. I met him a few times. And I heard him speak a few 
times. A  great man he was. He lived his life. He clarified that I need to live 
my life.  Comparing my life to his doesn't help me.
 
So, I can't speak for 'us'. I can speak for me. How has my vocation  
evolved?  What does it mean for me to live my life, live my purpose, play  my 
part? 
 
I do leadership workshops. The impact of those is sometimes strong,  
sometimes weak. One time someone told me I taught Victor Frankl. That was a good  
day. At other times people say that 'You don't teach workshops, you change  
lives' That doesn't happen very often. Someone once asked if I could lend 
her my  energy. Those are moments of recognition, events of possibility. At 
times I get  lost in the corporate context in which I work. 
 
I teach leadership workshops in Africa in oil companies. These workshops  
are my prayer for Africa to have strong institutions. (Remember Obama in 
Ghana:  'Africa doesn't need strong men, it needs strong institutions'....'good  
governance'.) 
 
I provide some assistance with a leadership initiative with the Abu Dhabi  
civil service. I spend some time coaching, teaching managers in the Social  
Services sector in the UK.
 
these interventions range from helping people to make a difference to a  
call to greatness. People laugh and weep at some of these workshops, on a good 
 day. 
 
I use the tools I grew up with in the Order Ecumenical and leadership tools 
 I have learned from many other people since, like Conversant in Colorado, 
who  have codefied the artform method helpfully.
 
I like the conversation about Rational Objective and Existential Aim. For  
me it is both a question of being clear with the people I work with and with 
 being clear with myself. I find it important to clarify what my purpose is 
 when I teach a workshop. It helps me rise above the anxiety and fears  
involved in the work I do. 
 
In a couple of hours I will start a five day leadership workshop in  
Nigeria. The room where I will be teaching has horrendous accoustics. Nigerians  
have great vocal presence. I need to state what my purpose is in order that  
I can transcend my fear about drowning in the noise. 
 
We keep on puzzling,
 
Paul
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