Posted by The 'Gueru

5-19-23 #10

When I have a minute to write a quote or share a thought, I like to use I statements to allow the individual an opportunity to have a bit of an intimate moment with my experience. I have noticed that many times when reading a journal, article or blog the writer will use deflective terms such as you as opposed to I when sharing a challenging issue. I believe this happens because the writer may be intending to be helpful or informative, but looking closely at the speech, it could mean that the writer still has challenges with whatever he or she is sharing. When I share information I like using myself as the focal point of whatever it is discussed. I do this because in writing this way I take ownership of my experience. It may also help the reader in understanding self accountability. Having many years experience in group facilitation may be the cause for this. I used this method when facilitating as I felt it necessary to empower participants to begin sharing their voice. I statements can be uncomfortable. They continue to be burdensome for me even with the experiences I had throughout the years. I persist in using language of ownership because it is helpful in overcoming emotional discomfort. I share this way for the reader to have the thought of having the conversation with me as opposed to reading the information. This helps people better understand who I am and the way my brain processes situations which improves upon the effectiveness of communication.