| The State of Grace Document | 2002-11-26 19:10 1 comment |
 by Flemming FunchTom Atlee mentions the State of Grace Document, which is an innovative alternative to contracts in various kinds of relationships, including businesses and personal relationships. It was conceived by Maureen McCarthy. As opposed to contracts, which usually have the premise that the other party quite likely will try to screw you, the State of Grace document has the premise that the parties both want to remain in or return to the state of grace that they started out with, where they're aligned and things are just flowing naturally. So, when a time of transition arrives, where it is no longer working, the point would either be to find the way back to that state, or to revise the agreement, or to realize that it is no longer there, so the relationship is ending. Maureen says: "The State of Grace Document is a radical new way to see the world. It's a tool for those who are searching for a non-litigious way to resolve a difficult situation. Or in the cases where [we] would never resort to that, but the pain of a bad ending leaves us exhausted, it's a remarkable path to peace. It's a concept not yet in practice that will cause great change in the world when adopted because it addresses the potential for problems up front in a loving manner. As a society we avoid saying the marriage could end before the ceremony has begun, the job might not work out as planned, or the business partnership might not be the best route as we move forward. Reality says it's all possible, but it seems so distasteful to acknowledge it. With the State of Grace Document a new and very elegant approach has been created to address the possibilities, while keeping the love, honor and integrity intact." |