John: I would suggest that we are always in some sort of "flow state" -- that is the process of life. I know that we talk about "flow" or being in the "zone" as special kinds of states but I suggest they are heightened versions of what is. I think the laser image is good here, because there are times when the conditions are created for self-organization that greatly enhances what is. Photons are being emitted all of the time from some source or another. We can create the conditions for specific emissions and for those photons to self-organize into lasers. We can also create the conditions in ongoing organizational process for spirited self-organizing, for access to connections beyond our consciousness, to enhance our consciousness of the whole organization now.
I'm not quite sure why trying to find words from various places in our life to describe what we are experiencing is "bad". Just as I believe there are times when getting deeper than words, in silence is much more profound. How long can we stay in the "flow" or "zone"? How much of the time can organizations operate in Open Space? Good questions. Larry .
