Where Are You Headed?

Try this. Stand up. Focus on an object in the distance. Balance on one foot. Now close your eyes. What happens? I don’t know about you, but I loose my balance and tip over! Focus creates balance. Here’s another illustration. Say you are driving and take your eyes off the road to gawk at something fascinating along the highway. What happens to your vehicle? It heads in the direction you are looking! We move toward what we are focused on. I just bought a new car, an Impala. Suddenly I see Impalas all over the place! People in my neighborhood did not go out and buy the cars overnight. I am just noticing all the Impalas around me. What we focus on increases.

We move toward what we focus on. What we focus on increases. What are you focusing on? If we are focused on the problems in our life, pretty soon, all we can see are difficulties. Positive focus brings balance, direction and increase, more of what we want in our lives. We need positive focus and a compelling vision to focus on in order to move toward the life we desire.

How do we gain focus and vision? One way is to use a process called “Appreciative Inquiry.”

“Appreciative Inquiry” is an approach to change that focuses and builds on
strengths and potential. This process maintains that a change of perspective,
such as focusing on and asking questions about positive characteristics rather
than focusing on negative aspects such as problems, needs, and deficits, can
inspire an image of what the future could be, mobilizing positive creative
energy and initiating a process of discovery and change (adapted from BNET
Business Dictionary).

Organizations have been using this process to gain focus and vision for many years. We can apply the process of “Appreciative Inquiry” on a personal level as well.

When we focus on problems the questions we ask ourselves are deficit based. It is very difficult to formulate a compelling vision from this perspective. When we focus on strengths, potential and where we want to be, we ask a very different set of questions. We ask questions that are asset based, very positive in focus, giving us a compelling vision to move toward.

Deficit Based: What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with them? Why can’t I get better at this? Why does this always happen to me? Why bother? How can I avoid this?
Asset Based: When have I been successful in the past? What are my strengths and talents? What do I love? What am I passionate about? What wonderful thing could happen in this situation? What actions can I begin experimenting with?

One final question. If you woke up in the morning and you had the life of your dreams, what would be different?

I would love to hear what you discover as you ponder this, taking an appreciative look at your life, gaining positive focus and a compelling vision t o move toward.

I leave you with this. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Phillipians 4:8.

Sincerely,

Cindy