Here’s what I wrote on the blank page 8:

Loving Turns

I already love this day!
With its turnings of my teacup in its saucer
And me in this sanctuary
Where January has become February
I turn in the direction
Of the softest breeze that ever caressed a face
And back to a collection
Of songbirds that play and sing
As a rising sun over this mountain
Blinds the winter for a breath of spring
I turn the softest pages that fingers ever turned
Past the Introduction
To hear the songs cradled in a silk nest
With a poet I turn one.

Cliff

Thank you, Siraj

Sunrise at Kayser RIdge, 1/28/2012

On this retreat we basically got together with other leaders and had great times of refreshing and worship.  In our meetings we discussed the basics in discipleship and just being relational with people the same way Christ was with His disciples.

We enjoyed lots of laughter and great fellowship over coffee and refreshments.

We all took in the beauty and the peacefulnes of Kayser Ridge.  We were very thankful and appreciative of all that you did for us there.

It was an incredible Thanksgiving gathering packed with the best of everything that makes this holiday special. Everyone contributed in his or her own way and with dishes and family delicacies all the way to the homemade ice cream that we revisited a second time (with pies at 2:00am), which we collectively ended up describing as having “a special fluff factor.” Damn, from here on out, homemade ice cream will have to have “a special fluff factor” or just won’t be quite the same. That’s going to be a tall order. Thanks for setting the bar so high, Erica and Tom!

One thing we learned while basking in the food, friendship, and fun – Tracy’s mom had a bad infection and was unable to enjoy Thanksgiving with family. Her request was to have everyone send pictures of their respective Thanksgiving events to her. O.K. Nan, here you go! You were on our minds and hope you feel better. We love you –now get better, O.K.?  And, we insist on doing a “raincheck” Thanksgiving with you and Howie first opportunity we get…Deal?

There’s not much more to say for this post other than – IT JUST DOESN”T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS! We have so much to be thankful for (and I have the best and coolest friends in the world…). And for the many friends and family who couldn’t be there with us – next time for sure, yes?

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Cliff

In March of 2010 I sat on a comfy red couch that could be considered center stage in Kayser Ridge’s ongoing showcase of nature’s majesty. The grandeur of the great room, with it’s soaring windows that expose the heavens and rich logs that root us to the earth was a perfect setting for me to learn with others how to unpack the seemingly unresolvable tensions that define all of our lives.

In a few short hours I had a new lens for experiencing the reality of my life’s experience in profoundly different ways. I finally had the following:

• An explanation for the radical pendulum swings in the educational system I had spent my life and career in
• A lens which clarified my immediate professional challenges and an approach to action step my way to observable improvements in performance
• A set of practices and tools to map my own individual growth and progress on any journey I ever take in the future

In two short days, the way things occurred to me on every level of both my life and the educational system were transformed, and I could untangle the future-limiting language I and those around me were tangled up in by using the tools of polarity thinking to move artfully toward the future we all desire.  One year and 8 months later, I sat on the same couch with 8 educators from vastly different geographical locations, backgrounds, settings and organizations.  Everyone who showed up is driven by the same hope-filled commitments, and challenged by the same tensions that are being leveraged poorly throughout our educational system writ large and in many instances in the places we show up to work each day. The commonality of experiencing poorly managed polarities in our organizations and personal leadership drove us to spend the weekend considering artful ways we can influence our own lives, work, and the larger systems of which we are inextricable parts through polarity thinking. We all left with the ability to see, map, and tap polarities, and with the desire to continue our learning as a group of educators committed to developing the most effective ways we can individually and collectively use both-and thinking to shape and support everything we do in learning communities across America.

Cliff started the group off on Saturday morning on the side deck – amid a sun rising over the ridge and crisp mountain air — with some basics of Tai Chi. This practice provided a tie-back to some key polarities and two experiences of Yin/Yang energy – one for upper and one for lower body.

Allison kicked Sunday morning off with a Yoga practice, again with tie-back to some polarities, both spiritual and physical. The exercises provided enough challenge to and enough support regardless of experience level, for participants to begin a daily practice.  Talk about a refreshing way to start the day.

In-between the physical, mental, and emotional experiences were amazing and healthy meals prepared by Kayser Ridge assistant, Linda Noble. Thanks Linda! Your wonderful energy, humor and service allowed all of us to hold the RETREAT pole of the RETREAT and WORKSHOP polarity! You clearly contributed to creating a virtuous cycle!

QUESTION:
When was the last time you:

• sat under a billion stars close enough to touch
• while in surreal blue moonlight
• in front of a blazing bonfire
• with 360 view of mountain ridgeline
• laughing with a group incredibly smart, funny, deep, and caring group of people

Not to brag, but I spent the majority of Saturday night, post dinner and dessert, doing just that. That’s got to be on the TOP 5 list of the closest things to Heaven on Earth, that I know.

Here is a piece from the comments from the feedback and evaluation form. It’s the first time EVER I’ve had someone write a poem in their feedback!

“We came with a sense about poles With the hope we might think more in wholes. How was the event? Nothing but heaven-sent, For it nourished our minds and our souls. Some experts drone on (on a roll.) Some gurus can sometimes cajole. But THIS was delivered By empathic givers with spirit and learning their role. They mixed heart and head, sits and strolls, to leverage both loose and control. How was the design? (Even without the wine) It worked well by embracing the poles. Kayser Ridge gave us new seeds to sow, to interplant with status quo. The space helped the learning, like leaves that are turning. Enacting infinity’s flow. I came with a sense about poles, wanting peace between either-or goals. But peace implies war; Neither’s true at life’s core. I saw love’s in the both-and of wholes”

Life is good…

Cliff

Yup, as if there weren’t enough Cairns and pictures of Cairns around Kayser Ridge — we are now fully stocked with Carin lamps and Cairn sculptures, thanks to the talent of Bill and Lori Gregory.

Bill and Lori moved to Berkeley Springs from Florida in April of 2011, brining their passion for nature and capturing nature in photograph and sculpture. Rocks used in the Cairn lamps are from Kayser Ridge. Look for their photographs taken at Kayser Ridge in the near future, too!

The lamps and sculptures at Kayser Ridge have prices attached. Simply take a piece and leave a check or contact them at:
Bill & Lori Gregory
Artists of Merrywoods
6 Merrywoods Drive
Berkeley Springs, WV 25411
304-258-9097

Here’s a sampling:

Read the wonderful blogpost by Annalie (3rd from right, below) describing her time at Kayser Ridge. Wow, thanks Annalie — you are too kind!
http://catalystformagic.posterous.com/magic-in-dc-and-the-shenandoah-mountains

And now, all these good folks have “Kayser Ridger” to add to their extensive and wildly impressive resumes! Of course, they were “subjected” to an overview of Polarity Thinking while here, so they can add that, too. Lucky them!

As if that wasn’t enough, we were treated to an aurora borealis — this link pretty much captures what we saw, except none of us thought to have grabbed a camera…VIEW IT > Talk about a treat.

Now that you’ve seen some pictures, check ‘em out here, too:

Michelle James – Conference Curator – is CEO of The Center for Creative Emergence and founder of the Capitol Creativity Network and Quantum Leap Business Improv. She is a business creativity consultant, facilitator and coach who has been pioneering applied creativity and improvisation in business for 16 years. She’s designed and delivered hundreds of public workshops for solopreneurs and leaders and business creativity programs for organizations such as Microsoft, Deloitte, GEICO, National Institutes for Health, The World Bank, Invest Norhtern Ireland, Teach for America and Kaiser Permanente among others. Michelle has been featured on TV, the radio and in print and was recognized for Visionary Leadership in Fast Company’s blog, Leading Change for “her commitment to bring creative expression into the work environment in a very deep and meaningful way.” She is an artist, storyteller, improv performer, philosopher, and a CoreSomatics (Embodied Movement with Depth Psychology) Master Practitioner, all of which inform her work and mission.

Gregg Fraley – Presenter – is an author, speaker, innovation consultant, and “Chief Solver” and co-founder of Kiln Ideas, Ltd. Kiln’s innovation system brings trend intelligence into a systematic, whole-brain, continuous innovation process within companies. Gregg’s consults and coaches on innovation project management idea generation facilitation, and creativity/CPS training. Clients have included Budweiser, Givaudan, Nestlé Purina, Johnsonville Sausage, and Leo Burnett Advertising among others. Gregg’ s been a leader and board member of the Creative Education Foundation and the European Creativity Association conference in Italy, CREA, and did a recent keynote at TEDxNASA. He is the author of the creaitvity and innovation business fable, Jack’s Notebook. Before Kiln, Gregg founded an IT company, was a marketing VP, and worked in the television where and won a Cable ACE Innovation award and an Emmy. Gregg’s blog is www.greggfraley.com.

Annalie Killian - Creative Leadership Panelist – “Corporate Maverick” and Catalyst for Magic at AMP, one of Australia’s most eminent Financial Services corporations. In charge of Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, she stirs up employee creativity, cross-functional collaboration and open innovation. She is also the creator of the unique Amplify Festival of Innovation & Thought Leadership, where 3 thousand employees and clients participate with thought leaders and change agents from all over the world. She is sought out as a Futurist and for her experience in effecting transformational change in complex systems. She’s pioneered innovation in social responsibility and business/ community partnerships and won numerous international awards for initiatives that helped the South African society transition from apartheid to democracy. In May, she was selected for the prestigious First Mover Fellows at the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program. Her personal blog is www.catalystformagic.posterous.com.

George Pór – Emergence and Cocreation Panelist – is co-founder of CommunityIntelligence Ltd, a London-based transformation agency, the hub of an international network of consultants collaborating on larger projects. George is a pioneer of using social media for developing such strategic organizational capabilities as collaborative work and learning. His specialty is advising leaders about communities of practice as untapped engines of value creation. He brought the concept of “communities of practice” to the European Commission and guided a 3-year project to develop such communities. George’s clients have included Canadian Imperial Bank, Copenhagen Institute for the Future, European Foundation for Mgnt Development, Ford, Greenpeace, Intel, H-P, Procter & Gamble, Swedish Organizational Learning Association and World Wildlife Foundation among others. George holds  Senior Research Fellow position at the University of Amsterdam Business School, and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Knowledge Management.

Jack Ricchiuto – Presenter; Emergence and Co-Creation Panelist  – is a collaboration designer, author, innovator and founder of Designing Life. He teaches groups and leaders how they can creatively organize themselves for success.
He brings creative process and community building into strategic planning, project management, product development, start-up formation and organization restructuring. As 9-time author, Jack has been a journalist for business magazines and radio guest expert on his books that include Collaborative Creativity, Accidental Conversations, Project Zen, Appreciative Leadership, Conscious Becoming, and The Stories that Connect Us among others. His 10th book “The Joy of Thriving” is due in January. Jack has teaches leadership, storytelling, and organization development in universities, including Kent State’s EMBA program, and corporations. Clients have included American Greetings, FedEx, DoD, US Cellular, Viacom, Ford, Moen, and the American Red Cross among others.

Carol Sanford - Presenter; Creative Work Cultures Panelist – has consulted for 3 decades to Fortune 500 companies globally (incl. DuPont, Colgate Europe Africa and Latin Am, and Intel), policy makers (such as British Columbia Premier), policy advisors, Arab nations, entrepreneurial start ups (such as Seventh Generation and hundreds of others) – inventing new ways to work holistically and systemically. She  authored hundreds of works, including her recent acclaimed book, The Responsible Business: Reimagining Sustainability and Success. Known for  breakthrough ideas, transformational initiatives and whole-brain approaches, her work has been featured in many publications (incl. HBR), on TV and radio business programs. Carol is one of the pioneers and practitioners of Living Systems/Whole Systems development in business and policy development. She leactures at universities incl. MIT Sloane, U Michigan, and U Washington among others, and serves as mentor/advisor to the Global Social Entrepreneur Competition at U. of Washington mentoring new businesses around the world. www.CarolSanford.com

Bruce Waltuck — a long-time leader in the fields of public sector organizational change and process improvement.  Expertise and interest in applying concepts of complex adaptive systems to the work of leading change.  Pioneer in collaborative labor-management relationships.  Presenter and author, on stuff like customer service, quality, leadership, government improvement, data collection and analysis, collaborative dialogue, and more.  Fan of New Mexican cuisine, early blues music, and the artistry of flying dual-line kites.  Degrees in economics from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, and in Complexity, Chaos, and Creativity, from the University of Western Sydney (yes it really says that on the diploma).  @complexified on Twitter, hence the blog name. http://complexified.wordpress.com/about/