The Public Broadcasting System aka PBS has been airing a series called “A Brief History of The Future”. Ari Wallach is the person who brings this program to us. He was also interviewed on “Firing Line” by Margaret Hoover. I’d watched the first episode and was hooked so when I saw he was going to be on that program, I watched.
What struck me the most was how he talked about how many of us see the future as being something “out there” and thus not part of our conscious daily decision making. What he then said was that if he changed the noun future to a verb futuring, it made the concept more immediate.
Wow!
For those of you reading this who have read Dr. William Glasser’s books on choice theory©, you’ll recognize the power of turning nouns into verbs. You’ll remember Dr. Glasser talking about using the gerund and adding “ing” to words like depression which then becomes depressing.
When we say I choose to depress or I am depressing we have a stake in the action. And that stake empowers us, gives us agency to make a different choice that might serve us better.
Having said that, Dr. Glasser also wrote about “Why We Choose Misery”. Here is the gist of what he said
+ to control our anger
+ to control others, get them to help us without asking
+ to excuse our inaction
+ to gain power and control
Interested in learning more? You have options (another word for choices).
You can
***sign up for the Glasser Institute of Choice Theory© – US’s Online Basic Training (GIFCT).
***sign up for an in person or Zoom training with one of our approved faculty.
***you can read Dr. Glasser’s book “Choice Theory”.
***you can join our 3rd Saturday of the month discussions as well as other free programs offered through GIFCT-US (link is at the end).
Moving beyond Misery or Miserying and back to Futuring. Mr. Wallach’s point is that if we see “the future” as something “out there” we do not consider it when we make decisions today.
The truth, at least how I see it, is the following
~Today is Today or The Present
~Tomorrow is The Future
~However at 12:01 a.m. The Future becomes The Present and today’s Present becomes The Past. Thus The Future isn’t really so far out there.
How many of you have heard about The Indigenous People’s concept of making decisions today that will support the 7th Generation?
There are actually products with 7th Generation as their brand name.
The people who support sustainability, recycling, etc. are thinking about the future from the perspective of “Futuring.”
Now to take this in a different direction.
What if we looked at the noun “Happy”and made it “Happying”.
How are we “happying” today?
How are we going to “happying” tomorrow?
By turning nouns into verbs, we change our relationship to them.
We already do that with some nouns
Love = Loving
Care = Caring
In my work I’ve seen the word “Love” used in horrific situations. The person may say they love the person and yet, they did not act in a loving way.
Words do matter.
And so do Actions.
Most often I’ve found that when we make choices we wish we hadn’t, we’ve made them for short term satisfaction instead of long term satisfaction. In the moment that dish of ice cream was soothing, calming and yummy and the carrot stick just didn’t deliver the same emotional or physiology feelings.
Think about answers to the following.
***Would making those choices support you in making the changes/choices you want for Your Futuring? Your Happying? Your Loving?
***Where would your life be different if you chose to change some nouns to verbs?
***What would you do differently today if tomorrow (not next week, month, year, decade) actually is Your Future?
We’d love to have you join us on May 18, 2024 at 2 p.m. Eastern and learn more about how Choice Theory© and Reality Therapy© support you in changing your life.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86846055313?pwd=emtiWTNpSVExdDRpWEFtTWtoUXkyZz09
Meeting ID: 868 4605 5313
Passcode: 662804
Judith attended her first Basic Training in August 1978. She was certified in Reality Therapy© in August 1979 and became an Intensive Week Trainer and Practicum Supervisor in 1981. In 1991, Judith was approved as Senior Faculty by Dr. William Glasser. She has taught all phases of the Certification Program and presented workshops at Conferences in the United States and Internationally. Currently Judith is the Northwest Region’s representative on the GIFCT-US Board as well as president of the NW Region.