Often attributed as being Shamanic laws, the following are in fact the 5 Principles of Open Space Technology created by Owen Harrison. Open Space Technology is a method of organising meetings or conferences where participants need to solve complex problems as a group or innovate quickly.

OST has 5 guiding principles and one law that set the tone for how the space is held and as you will see, these principles translate beautifully into metaphors for challenges in life. The principles are exactly as written by Owen Harrison, the interpretations are my own.

1. Whoever comes are the right people

Trust that the people who show up in your life are the ones you need. You’ll always have people who show up to love and support you alongside always having people who show up and trigger you or teach you. If you can be as grateful for the life lessons as you are for the support, you can let people come and let people go without attachment.

2. Whenever it starts is the right time

Perhaps you feel like you’ve missed the boat, or you’re too old to start over? What if the starting point happens exactly when it’s supposed to. Goals and dreams rarely appear on the schedule we’d like them to. What if you switched the frustration to allowing beginnings to arrive when they’re supposed to and let yourself enjoy the unfolding rather than trying to hurry the process.

3. Wherever it happens is the right place

A chance encounter in Starbucks, bumping into someone in a restaurant bathroom or a life-changing conversation on a weekend retreat, opportunities often appear in unexpected places. The trick is to keep an open mind and let conversations unfold.

4. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have

Shoulds are a problem. If instead of dissecting a situation that didn’t go to plan and imagining how you’d replay it and change it, you allowed what happened to be the only viable option, does your perspective shift and does the emotional charge lessen? What if everything is working out as it’s meant to?

5. When it’s over, it’s over

The party, the relationship, the career, the movie. What’s done is done. Accept it. Keep the fond memories, learn the lessons and let go of the rest so you can move on.

The One Law: The Law of Two Feet

“If at any time you find yourself in a situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet and go somewhere else.”

If it’s not working for you, stop wasting your energy and move elsewhere. You’re not a tree, you can walk away at any time.

It’s really easy to get stuck in a world of ‘what ifs’ and ‘should haves’ or living in the past reminiscing rather than focusing on actively creating your future. I was thrilled to find these 5 principles and the one law, to me they are the epitome of allowing life to flow and unfold and an invitation to trust the process.

Speaking of which, if you’d like to get more into the process of creating your life and out of the internal chatter that’s keeping you stuck, I invite you to download a copy of my FREE ‘Reconnect to your Purpose’ guide here. You’ll get instant access to a collection of thought provoking questions to give you insight and clarity on what’s working, what’s not and what to do next. Get the guide here.