Department of Health and Human Services
Riverview Pychiatric Center
Message from the Superintendent (January 13, 2006)
"You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses." - Tom Wilson
In the business we are in, language is critical. It presents what were are feeling, thinking, what we know and often how little we do know. It also invokes reactions from people, responses to the words we use and the expectations they present. You all know that. I came across a table that briefly listed out "Reactive Language" and "Proactive Language", in Stephen R. Covey's Book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"
"Our language is a very real indicator of the degree to which we see over selves as proactive people. The language of reactive people absolves them of responsibility, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. They increasingly feel victimized, out of control, not in charge of their life.
Proactive language offers people the opportunity for growth, through choice, self determination and self control. Language becomes the basic paradigm of determinate.
REACTIVE LANGUAGE
- There's nothing I can do
- That’s just the way I am
- He makes me so mad
- They won't allow that
- I have to do that
- I can't
- I must
- If only
PROACTIVE LANGUAGE
- Lets look at Alternatives
- I can choose a different approach
- I control my own feelings
- I can create an effective presentation
- I will choose a different response
- I choose
- I prefer
- I will
The book goes on to suggest that we take a day and listen to the language of people around us, paying attention to how often we use or we hear other people use "I have too, I can't, I must, I should"…….and see if there are ways for us to start introducing sentences (and helping our clients do the same) with " I choose, I will, I can decide, I can create".
Anyway….food for thought and as always, thanks for your work
David Proffitt
Superintendent
