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LifeChangingExperienceA number of AYErs have told me that the conference was the beginning of a life-changing experience for them. It certainly has been for me - as host, as presenter, as participant. AYE has for me. The experience of "speaking guest" last year has helped me over a visibility bump. --NynkeFokma July 2nd, 2002 A lot of people may not realize the blurring of distinctions in AYE among the various roles. You will not see badges with colored ribbons hanging from them proclaiming certain people "keynote speaker" or "speaker" or "board member." Ten of us will be wearing colored badges identifying us as hosts, which means that we are people you can come to with any kind of question or problem. But, of course, everyone is welcome to be a host in that sense, and everyone helps everyone else, as fits for them. People can speak up as much or as little as they wish; they can carry books, take notes, offer a BirdsOfAFeather session; organize a dinner; take over for one of the presenters who gets sick (this has happened) or who doesn't have as much to contribute (this has happened, too). And those are some the things that often make AYE a life changing experience for participants. - JerryWeinberg 2002.07.03 As a consultant who also teaches courses, I have used simulations in my workshops. After presenting sessions at AYE, I turned around and put the workshop inside simulations. My professional life has certainly changed for the better by working with the people who come to AYE and astound me with their wisdom, creativity and energy. I am straining my memory to recall a quote I used years ago in a design class...something to the effect that the water in the vessel is changed by the shape of the vessel (from Juvenal). I undertand this a whole new way. - BeckyWinant 2002.07.03 Jerry, if you look at the number of us who keep coming back, and who keep turning up on the WIKI, you will know how strongly AYE has affected us. I feel more aware, not only at AYE, but afterward. I asked a friend of mine who keeps looking for a way to come to AYE what is different about me when I come back. She said my energy has moved up a level. That's a pretty good description of how it feels inside too. SherryHeinze 2002.07.07 Sherry, what an interesting observable measure of change. I am also curious what your friend's barrier is that she needs to overcome to get to AYE? - BeckyWinant 2002.07.08 Sherry, I wonder if you can say more about what the energy is like, and where it comes from? EstherDerby 071002 Becky, my friend has the usual barrier - money. The company she is working for has had a rough year and is not paying for anything much, especially training. However, she is going back to contracting and plans to save the money for AYE 2003. Esther, I am sitting here staring at the screen trying to figure out how to answer your question. The second part is easier: energy comes from everywhere, through everyone, it is just available. We all use it, but sometimes individual people use it so strongly that you can almost see? feel? them glow. Remind me to show you energy use in November with a couple of metal coat hangers. The energy from AYE is strong, warm, positive. If I said that how aware I am and what I am aware of has changed, would that help? This is very hard to write because I cannot see your reaction. Does any of this make sense to you? Becky, it seemed to make sense to you. Can you help me out here? SherryHeinze 2002.07.14 Sherry I'm not sure if I can help, but I'll give it a try. My understanding of your being energized may or may not be yours. I get lots of energy from the outside when I feel a connection has been made between myself and others. Perhaps typical for an E ? I remember being with my co-presenters at the breakfast table at AYE 2000. You were close by and I caught your smiling face. For me that was an opening to connect. You energized me that morning with your smile, your amusement at our conversation and willingness to been seen as enjoying the conversation. When I read your and my messages, they both are strongly visual. Esther may be looking for a kinesthetic response. How did that feel? Maybe also how did you notice that change physically or emotionally? Does that help? Esther, is that in the ballpark? -BeckyWinant 2002.07.15 Thanks, Becky, that's part of what I mean, and I think it helps me to explain. When my energy level is higher, I do feel it physically and emotionally. I also feel mentally stimulated and aware. But the strongest part of it is spiritual, in a non religious sense. I feel more in tune with the planet or the cosmos, more aware of the people around me, more whole. A Star Wars fan would say that the Force is stronger in me. That is not really how I would say it, but it might make it clearer. After I wrote this, I talked to my friend again. Some things are easier to explain if you can talk about them. Here's what we came up with: During AYE, the group becomes more than the sum of its parts. After AYE, the individuals are more than the sum of their own parts. The group feeds itself. The electricity from the people gets the energy flowing. It like jumping the energy flow on an electric current. It improves the connection to "God, the universe, and everything", the energy source. Some things block the energy flow, some things stimulate it. AYE stimulates it. The flow is higher, even afterwards it stays higher, although not as high. Using the WIKI brings me part way back up again. The increase is cumulative. If being at AYE doubles my energy, afterwards it stays higher. When I went back to AYE, it started higher the second year. Last September, I attended a conference with someone who had just come back from PSL. In a crowd of 200 or 300, she was the only stranger I was immediately drawn to. The second day, I discovered she had been at PSL, but I could feel the energy the first day. I just had no idea why it was so high. SherryHeinze 2002.07.15 Sherry, maybe those of us who do things such as AYE and PSL are looking for ways to experience the situation at a deeper level (whatever that means to each of us)? PSL taught me that I didn't have to take action every time I had to make a decision, I could think about it first. I know that changed me (for the better). -- JohannaRothman 2002.07.29 Johanna I think you're on to something. We may have an experience with something that makes us question that-which-we-take-for-granted AND shows us that other options can work equally well, if not better. It is hard to go back to the same old place and pretend we never had a glimpse into new possibilities. (You can't go home again, Virginia Wolfe). PSL was a life changing experience for me, too. Through MBTI I learned that I don't always have to have an answer or put energy into making something happen. Interestingly a big lesson was the E-I difference, which Naomi and I happen to be preparing a session (SessionTwo016) for AYE this year. My insight came from realizing that my significant other is "I" and I am "E". When we fought over something, he would want me to leave him alone and I wanted to talk it out. AT PSL I realized that he need time to process what happened. I gained new respect for "I" time and space even realizing how I needed that too at times. - BeckyWinant 2002.07.30 I had a similar experience when I came back from PSL. I realized my husband is an "I" and I am an "E". I learned to keep my mouth shut and wait for him to answer, even if it is (for me) an agonizingly long time (30 seconds to 2 minutes!). Now he doesn't feel like I interrupted him (he hadn't said anything yet, but..) or walked over his answer. MarieBenesh 2002.07.30
Updated: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 |
