This is a picture of Venus passing in front of the sun last week. It is a rather unusual event, as Venus transits the face of the sun twice every 120 years or so. Those two transits are seperated by 8 years. This photo shows the sun shining through the atmosphere on Venus, and in its composition it struck me as a beautiful design for a flag for our solar system. It captures bodies made of both gas and rock, shows an intimate relationship – an embrace in fact – between the sun and its planets, and it also shows …
In the midst of this federal election, I’ve weighed my choices fairly carefully, and I’m voting Green. Locally we have an excellent candidate running in Andrea Goldsmith who is currently a councilor at the Town of Gibsons, on the Sunshine Coast, just the other side of the inlet I live in. For me, Aboriginal issues are a key part of the campaign, even if they seem to be off most people’s radar screens. But in this riding we have two First Nations who are well advanced in the BC Treaty Process. Both Sliammon and Sechelt have concluded or signed Agreements-in-Principle …
Storytelling Practices As an addendum to the series on storytelling, here are some specific facilitation practices I use in working with stories with groups. In order to learn about the organization I am working with I ask for stories from people one on one using appreciative questions designed to draw forth the best of the organization or community. Often I ask people to tell me stories that reflect the spirit of the organization or describe moments of flow, compassion, and collective or individual excellence. You can find some of the questions I use here and here. This helps set the …
36 by Justin O’Neill Eighteen years ago today I turned eighteen. Two whole lives spent coming of age. Interestingly, it actually feels like something is different this time around. Is it possible that we divide our lives into 18 year periods? What happens at age 54?
My final installment on working with stories in my facilitation practice. Stories to Remember who we are The best teachers tell stories. They will sit you down and tell you a story about someone or something that was facing the very situation in which you find yourself. All the great religious leaders told stories. Many of their stories focused on the fact that the wisdom we need is available to us right now. That wisdom may be ancient, but there is nothing new under the sun. I am a keen collector of teachings from Aborginal Elders. By teachings I don’t …