Second bootcamp completed. We were joined by Marie Haller from the Hub. She and I worked together for a few months before I switched to a new job. I was excited to get to interact and engage with her.
Yesterday we had a new exercise—take 5 minutes to talk about project, 5 minutes to write down question presented during and new questions raised afterwards. Then choose one of the questions as a leading question to begin a deeper exploration of the project.
I’m noticing themes and patterns to the Bootcamp exercises. Active listening, asking the right questions, orienting yourself to the right context, adjusting based upon who is in the room, rinse, lather, repeat.
This week’s exercise felt less well designed than week one’s. To continue the bootcamp and exercise analogy, strength training or conditioning is often about isolating one set of muscles or fitness goal so that you get better and better at just that. My main critique of this exercise was that the specific emphasis wasn’t clear.
The exercises and interactions are good fodder for thought and, admittedly, there is part of my brain that is stepped outside of the actual interaction.
It has been a great process so far. It is a deep privilege to be in this class with Jess and Marie–I knew that EEK would attract stellar people (his tribe) to the bootcamp and this has been proven to be very true!
Natalie, 
Eugene, and 
eugenechan are discussing. 
Anna and 
eugenechan 6:11 pm on October 11, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Natalie: nice to meet you.
I hope you can make the time to reflect more as I’d love to follow your thoughts.
In a similar vein, my project is about finding the sanity fulcrum in my life. I’m beginning with the opposite assumption than what you laid out: life never gets sane so you never get to reflect.
The only way to reflect is to make time for reflection and that leads to better choices, priorities, self.
warmly,
eugene (chan)
Natalie 1:44 pm on October 15, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi, Eugene. Nice to meet you as well, and thanks for your observation. I think there’s a difference between standard busy-ness where you have at least some control over your priorities, and a level of insanity where you’re simply putting out fires all day. I’m ready to move out of fire fighter mode!
But yes; reflection is essential. I’m hopeful that my upcoming meditation camp will shock my system into reflection. And I so hope you’re wrong about life never getting sane . . .
Eugene 12:48 pm on October 15, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Natalie, so great to hear from you. I think finding micromoments of sanity is a critical changemaker skill. The structure I’ve been playing with to do this is weekly checkins over Skype with a colleague of mine in Montreal, Seb Paquet. As things have gotten busier for me, it’s been harder to keep that appointment, but I have found that it’s been more than worth it.
Echo-ing the other Eugene’s thoughts on visiting here more often!
Natalie 1:50 pm on October 15, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hey there, Eugene! I love the concept of “micromoments of sanity.” It’s interesting to hear about your hard-to-keep appointment; you must be getting something out of it to keep it on the schedule. I just did the opposite, which was to end a study group I’d hosted for over 19 years. Of course, I’m not a fan of routine, so it’s remarkable that I lasted that long, but clearly I was no longer getting enough out of it to keep it on the schedule.
Your comment makes me realize, though, why I try to keep Kahlo’s “social hour” at the local dog park . . . it’s my social hour, too, and my place for check-ins with my wonderful neighbors. There’s a micromoment of sanity. š