Thinking Out Loud: How Healthy is Your Relationship?

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

“Three factors that give life to healthy organizations are continuity, novelty, and transition. Research has established that visionary organizations and their leadership have the capacity to learn and apply lessons from the best of the past (continuity), to surface and develop ideas for creative acts (novelty), and to enact actual changes in systems and behaviors to progress toward a desired state (transition).” P. 21

Note: I think these three factors, continuity novelty, and transition give life to healthy relationships as well. In healthy relationships the partners are always learning and applying the lessons they learned to their current context. They never stop trying to grow. Great relationships are never static, they are always in growth mode. They apply novelty to their lives in the sense that they look for creative ways to express their love for each other and to find ways in which they can enjoy each other’s company. And they’re always cognizant of life’s transitions. They have desired goals. Their goals are organic and constantly evolving. How is your relationship? Do you have the three factors that make a relationship healthy and alive? It’s never too late to start.