The Workshop in Ireland

It was great!

I had a couple of huge breakthroughs: first, I discovered I can 'coach' others to lead the workshop. I've been to Ireland 6 or 7 times, maybe more, and always, before this time, I led parts of the workshop. This time, I was 'the coach' for three Irish workshop leaders and wasn't 'in front of the room' at all, except for one session of centering prayer. And my 'coaching' worked and the workshop worked, as it always does.

My second breakthrough (huge) was that the workshop works when leaders don't lead like I would lead!

I think I am a superb leader of the Making a Difference Workshop. I am able to invite participation and adroit in responding to the participants. I know the distinctions well and have homey stories for each of them. I'm good on my feet and, in the way that I am, charming. I'm probably not as urgent and 'sharp' as I could be, but I'm very good at what I do.

None of the three workshop leaders I coached last week lead the workshop anyway near the way I do. But the workshop worked (that's one of the mantras of the leaders: 'the workshop works!') without anyone leading it the way I do. Good to know that there are leaders ready to carry on without 'being me'....

I've spent over a quarter of a century of my life being involved with the Making a Difference workshop because it meant so much to me when I was a participant. I regret not one moment of all that time and travel (even a homebody like me...) and this time in Ireland, I realized the workshop will 'keep on keeping on' even when I'm not leading it.

That's good stuff.

(Every single time, the participants 'look different' at the end than at the beginning. Empowered and transformed. Just getting to see that 'glow' at the end makes it all worth the effort.)