Thinking Out Loud: Create a New a Positive Reality

Learning to Appreciate. A look at appreciative inquiry. Excerpts are taken from, Appreciative Inquiry Handbook (2003) by David Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and Jacqueline Stravros.

A fundamental assumption underlying appreciative inquiry is that the language one uses creates one’s reality. Therefore, the emotional meaning of words such as dysfunctional, codependent, and stressed out effect once thinking and acting. This deficit based vocabulary can inhibit the vision for a better and brighter future and limit growth. 17.

Note: I received an email from a friend this morning. My friend used words such as “no escape, no victory, and doomed.” He was using dificit thinking. These words can only exacerbate the stress my friend feels from his work situation. I know his situation and don’t see it the way he sees it. A change in his language would change his attitude toward the challenges he faces. We can easily become stuck with this pattern of thinking. It is counterproductive and puts us in a fight or flight position. If we ask ourselves, “What is happening here? What are the positive alternatives to what is happening here? What opportunities exists in this context? We begin to generate positive alternatives. The more positive questions we ask, the more constructive our language becomes. Instead of building barriers to protect ourselves, we discover ways to work with others to construct a new reality. We’re never condemned to what is. We have the power within ourselves to create a new and more positive reality. What are you waiting for?