Being in the moment

In All Things Shining by Dreyfus and Kelly, at the beginning of the book they refer to Wesley Autrey, the 50-year old construction worker who leaped in front of an oncoming 1 train in NYC to save a young man who had fallen on the subway tracks. Aubrey commented afterward that he didn't feel like he did anything heroic - he simply saw someone who needed help and he helped.

Dreyfus and Kelly are driving at the importance of situations and context in determining how we behave. When we are practiced at the behavior that is required in a situation, we do little conscious deliberation, we ACT in a way that's appropriate for that moment.

Another example today near our home in the East Bay.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_17465843?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1

In terms strikingly similar to Mr. Aubrey in NYC, Brad Smith commented: "I just did what I was supposed to do. I had a big fire extinguisher, and I know what to do with car fires. I never really even thought about it."

This kind of openness and receptivity to what the moment demands is the state that I think we should be striving for. And if we have experiences and skills that will prepare us to act appropriately when the situation demands, maybe we can make a difference in the universe afterall.

Embodiment and context

As I work through possibilities for a leadership development program, I have consistently insisted that "experience" be at the core of whatever process we use. I would like to explore the issue of experience through some sources that I think speak to how we learn (change) less through thinking than through "embodying" the change we seek.

Embodiment refers to a structural change in one's life that disrupts the status quo, alters the context, and requires "learning" in order to deal with the new context that's been created. In Moby Dick, Ishmael's decision to go out to sea is an embodiment of change. He is dramatically shifting his context and will be exposed to new rhythms, people, technical skills, group dynamics, etc. What it is Ishmael is hoping to learn from this embodiment of life on the sea may be the subject of another post, but it's clear that he sees values, ways of life that attract and repel him over the course of his adventures. His experience forces him to deal with profound questions of what is most meaningful in life, and how we live a life that is full of meaning.