This year's Vine provided three days of suspended animation.  With the economy in free fall and no one in charge, we were detached, but aware.  Remarkably unencumbered with nothing to lose and everything to gain.  And it hasn't quite worn off yet.

Rather than a bunker mentality, this eclectic group went skydiving, holding hands to form a pattern before letting go to reform.   Every day reality intervened, slamming us into the ground, but then we looked at each other and said let's try that again. 

Before we started, Chris Grant, the facilitator at The Vine Conference, set up the safe space with great care to the room layout, lighting, and design.  Stories set the agenda, including learning Chris' secret to dealing with a room of Type A CEOs.  He makes them stand, approach each participant and just say: I don't know.  He said if you do it for a good five minutes, they start to lose it.

So here's your moment of zen.  Just say, I don't know.  Better?  Now start reconnecting with people in more genuine ways.  You're going to be relying on those relationships to move through the next eighteen months and who knows, we may all realize that people are the whole point.

Originally posted @ Ann Oliveri