G'day G'day Folks,
Henry Dreher in his book "The Immune Power Personality" published by Blume Books 1996 ISBN 0-452-27546-6 cites the work of seven different researchers who have modeled healthy thinking beyond the reduce_stress, think_positive paradigms.
Suzanne Ouellette, spent two decades re-examining concepts relating to stress and illness. She identified three characteristics which she called "hardiness"
These were,
"commitment" = high on meaning in purpose in work and relationships.
"control" = believing and behaving as if they have influence over life circumstances.
"challenge" = perceiving problems as challenges, putting curiosity, exploration and risk taking ahead of comfort and security.
Very nlperish in philosophy don't you think.
The effects of hardiness when compounded with other life choices, eg exercise and social support is phenomenal.
0 resources => 92% chance of illness.
1 resource => 72%
2 resources => 58%
3 resources => 8%
Hardiness turned out to be the most significant. Social support had a positive effect in the presence of hardiness but a negative effect in its absence. Clearly in any therapeutic situation, supporting the client will only benefit the client if "hardiness" is already dealt with.
For myself, I sense a paradigm shift,
"Hardiness has priority over all issues."
If I understand the rapport process correctly, this gives added reason for it to support the client in processing and not in content.
Which brings me back to those three elements of hardiness.
Does anyone have a better word for "control" as the attitude expressed by it is central to nlp?
The importance attached to this very issue has been at the core of some of the drawn out debates in this forum. Unfortunately, the different points of view have split into polarities and become identified with persons when all along the differences have been only a matter of degree.
Maybe now is the time to search our hearts for the answer to the following question,
Put bluntly, "How much should I behave as though if I have influence over my life circumstance?"
I have endeavoured to capture it in the spirit of the "blind dog leading." In the weekends I take her "rock climbing" by the sea. She clambers up onto a rock and whimpers and squeals till she figures out how to climb down. Next week she will be up another rock enjoying the challenge just as much. If she were sighted, I suspect she would find another equally challenging adventure.
How should I describe this attitude to life?
How in nlp is this spirit imbued first in the practitioner and secondly conveyed to the client?