Day 4 - Expand

Day 4 – The fog lifted and the journey became clear

Written by Giang. Translated into English by Trang Hippo.

Early in 2024, Hanoi saw a great deal of weather fluctuation, including sunny days and chilly nights, as well as a quick swing from dry to wet and humid to dry again. And just like that, the weather was unpredictable… As I peered through the window and stepped outside the house one morning, I noticed that the Hanoi sky was completely shrouded in a thick layer of white fog. An unusual phenomena that is increasing in frequency here these days.

It is the same in my mind, things appear murky and unclear at times, yet at other times everything is crystal obvious. As the fourth day of AOH 2024 drew to a close and the haze cleared, a vivid journey came to mind.

From the strangers who first met at noon on the first day in front of the Opera House to our AoH 2024 peers, who were gathered around us at the training room at 3 p.m. on the fourth day. We could picture each other’s smiles, and recall the way our friends hold and emphasize their voices. In all of us, the mist from the beginning had now lifted.

The hugs, the looks, and the time we shared together as the program’s organizers announced its conclusion – I would never forget them. Everyone seemingly wanted to remain together, and much more so, there were INVITATIONS to form groups, work on projects, and stay in connection and practice the Circle Way together.

I could still hear my roommate sharing after the Knowledge Expedition: “It was amazing, you had no idea what you missed“

For me, coming to AoH, I expected to bring back the confidence to facilitate and to work in groups, and I wondered “what else could AoH offer?”

In fact:

• I realized the journey I am on from when it started, and how I had been aligned with my vision.
• I will bring back to my company’s training programs many new and inspiring insights: Talking piece, giving flowers, raising hands and inviting silence, village news, Breath Pattern, the Circle Way, ask for what you need – offer what you can, etc.
• I successfully applied the circle practice with my group of 4 (1 master – 3 disciples) right in the first week after returning; successfully connected with a work partner; I am now preparing a sharing session on AoH practice for my team.

Isn’t that great?

There would be a lot of sharing, each of us would bring back home both in our minds and the notes where we had written about “What I realized/found again is…”. You could speak up or keep it to yourself. The important thing is, you were there between the two circles and the fog slowly lifted to reveal a clear picture of what you had found.

Thank you for the wonderful AOH 2024 experience, friends and organizing team.