I love this little story from Maria Scordiolu of Axladitisa about the relation between intention and outcome. There are deeper levels here. In particular, I like this from below: The way we work with it alters the energy of what we are making.
I can imagine using this story as an opening, as an invitation, for people (families to teams to organizations) in conversational learning and creation.
“We have met a wonderful Austrian couple who have moved to the area around Arxalasti and Anton is a wonderful cabinet maker by trade and also environmental engineer specialising in eco-builidng and solar systems – electricity, water, heating, etc., (yes – how exciting that he should come and live so close to Axladitsa). He was telling me that 10 years ago, he went to New York to research how the way we work with wood, alters the energy of what we are making. So – he created two dining tables from the same piece of wood – one he worked completely by hand – no electric tools. The other he used electric tools. When he was finished, he said they looked almost identical – especially to the untrained eye. He could feel the difference between the two tables – the one that had been worked by hand felt completely different. He then did an exhibition with the two tables and invited people to feel the tables and choose the one handcrafted – and if they got it right – they would get the table for free. Although people could feel a difference – no-one except an acupuncture master, Mr. Chan could pick out the handcrafted table.”