Exhibiting the ‘Appreciative’ Mindset

“Wherever a person turns they can find someone who needs them.”

~Albert Schweitzer (adapted).

Appreciative systems are so much more powerful than depreciative systems are, particularly with regard to the world of relationships. They say “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

Positivity works much better.

The exhibition of the appreciative mindset is simply the focal use of accentuating the positive at every turn, as a way of affirmation and for growth.

For instance, in the business world, instead of doing Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) analyses, we can do Strengths-Opportunities-Aspirations-Results (SOAR) analyses. There are many other Appreciative Inquiry (AI) techniques.

But it’s the personal application we’re interested in right here; to become more positive influences (and influencers) within our world.

The Personal Approach

At this level we’re making a commitment to grow only in positive directions. We’re taking all the negative ‘stuff’ that comes into our shovels and reducing it for the minable positive—the rich commodifiable ore of transformation—to us and our worlds.

There is plenty in this world with which to draw appreciative energy from. In fact, there are so much of both i.e. also the depreciative, negative aspects of life. If we stay negative, at least two bad things happen:

1. Our effect is nullified.
2. We become miserable.

It always depends on us and our chosen focus.

When we’re stuck depreciatively, and we are dissatisfied with our results in life, we can just as easily shift to the positive, stronger mindset.

Exhibiting the Mindset of the Strong

Strong people don’t pick off opportunities to be critical or negative; they look for the positive.

The strong don’t need to delve into things that won’t be beneficial. Life is far too short for them to do this. They only want to maximise the opportunities to do the best they can with their time.

Exhibiting this appreciative mindset is a blessing not only for the world around us, but for us—little ole us—as well, for we’re infused with blessing from deep within when we see the affect we have on our world, and particularly our closest relationships.

Voltaire said,

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.”

There’s no room for envy or petty jealousy with a wilful appreciation. It swells our own world on the back of others’.

Then at last we see that others are never a threat to us—even more skilled others. The moment of appreciation is the moment of disarmament. How appreciation often boomerangs. All things are ours!

Our Role in Life – to Encourage Through Appreciation

Connecting back with the quote at top, we see now how important it is to accept a role in life to encourage others—for in this, not only are others built up in ways they need, but we too are built up, spiritually, in God.

Appreciation – it’s a weird but wonderful spiritual science!

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.