Beginning SFI-Practice – Lesson 3

Objective:

What is the SfI-Practice?

In this video:

Definitions of Strengths-focus and Identity Practice
This is not about pushing away weaknesses or negative thoughts
Definition of articulate: finding the words
Definition of “positive moment”
Increase your positivity in two different ways: noticing more positive moments and liking yourself
Contrast feeling lucky with articulating strengths. You are causing your positive moments!

Key Takeaway:

The two basic steps of the Strengths-focused Identity Practice are:

Step 1–Articulate a Positive Moment.
Step 2–Articulate a related personal strength.

Notes on Practice
The two steps of the practice both increase positivity, and they do it in two different ways.

Reflection Question
Reflect on Jennifer’s example of seeing Mount Hood and articulating a related strength of being open to beauty and appreciating the scenery. Can you think of a similar positive moment you have had? Can you articulate a related strength? Notice how it feels to do this.

Articulating Your Strengths

“When we experience a positive moment, it makes sense to ask, What was I doing, or how was I being that made that possible?”
Jennifer Rose

< Beginning SFI-Practice – Lesson 2

Beginning SFI-Practice – Lesson 4 >

Examples from an SfI Practitioner
See Barb's Top Ten
Hi, my name is Barb and I am a retired Transit worker (subways and buses), I live with my husband and within walking distance to my son and his family that includes two granddaughters here in Brooklyn, NY.

I enjoy working with fabric making quilts as well as various fabric renditions of digital art and granddaughter paintings. I am a loud supporter of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, your sympathies are appreciated.

I’ve been involved in a meditation group for almost 20 years which is where I met Jennifer and learned of her work with Jerald on Articulating Strengths. I was intrigued with the work and joined the Strengths’ group that initially met monthly on Zoom to verbally describe one of our positive moments and articulate the strength associated with that event. I must admit at first I was a bit baffled at identifying the positive moment and would often times ask my husband and in his absence one of my granddaughters for an example. I suppose that I was consumed by all the negativity in the world every day that these little blips of bliss got lost or at the very least overlooked. Then the pandemic hit NY and the general negativity was magnified with fear, solitude and loss.

Yet through all of this, I found positive moments in everything from washing the dishes to resolving a problem to share with the group. I thought this was magical. During the dark days of the pandemic the Strengths group began to meet weekly and I began to record my positive moments in writing. The process of writing allows one to dig through the nuances generally
present in any moment to arrive at the beauty and joy that is underneath it all. From there I can more easily see the strength that emerges within me.

Another truly great benefit of writing is the ability to go back in time to read these moments much like one will read a diary. When preparing for this website I found that my readings from the past confirmed for me today that I will be good-to-go tomorrow.

➤