Even the most gruesome and horrifying experience, like this pandemic, can be seen through a positive lens not to deny, fake and sugarcoat it but to celebrate the appreciation of the positive. After all, it is in this area of the positive where we are all intending to grow. We attract into our reality those that we choose to see through our perceptions and what we nurture in our conscious and unconscious minds. As social media has become an obituary of deaths or a scream room for those who are going through the difficult experiences, we may still choose to find a glimmer of hope. As my 19-year-old daughter Lyza advices people in her poem—if you cannot seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel, maybe you can be the light in the tunnel.
I have engaged myself in a book project that will contribute to the documentation of the positive experiences of the pandemic. I refuse to state the obvious—the negativities, the fears and anxiety, frustrations and failures, unemployment and bankruptcy, even in survival and death. I focused on the appreciation of the positive experiences, through the peak experiences to celebrate the “best of what was,” towards the achievement of the “best of what could be,” through the appreciation of the values, resources and lessons of the present. It opens the pandemic experiences into the deep thinking that, worst as it may seem, there are peak moments that could be narrated to inspire me as the interviewer, the one being interviewed, and eventually the readers who could be challenged to agree that there remains some sources of joy, contentment, and completeness amid the pandemic. In the process, it engages the conversation into the discovery of what gives “life” to that person within the living system within and around her or him. The values that are held precious and dear surface, as the lessons learned through the experiences inspire the co-creation of an ideal future. The book shall be launched with the title, LIFE-GIVING FORCES: The Pandemic Stories of 120+ Men and Women Appreciated through the Positive Lens.
The framework of the book adopts the beautiful model of “Appreciative Inquiry [AI], which is about the co-evolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, AI involves the systematic discovery of what gives ‘life’ to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms,” says AI proponent David L Cooperider. AI is a strengths-based, positive approach, which focuses on strengths rather than on weaknesses, to help people move toward a shared vision for the future. AI deliberately seeks to work from accounts of this “positive change core” and link the energy of this core directly to any change agenda and changes never thought possible. All of these are achieved through an inquiry that is facilitated through the “unconditional positive questions.”
The book features 120 plus interesting and diverse men and women from all walks of life. From the Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo who shares her joy of having a daughter pass the Physician’s Licensure Examination, to Senators and Secretaries who were found to be in the forefront of the country’s response to the pandemic, namely Senators Bong Go, Win Gatchalian and Sonny Angara, and Department Secretaries Fortunato de la Peña, Mon Lopez, and Silvestre Bello.
The book features the heroes and heroines of health care in crises. Included are Doctors who are advocates, frontlines and survivors, namely Dr. Tony Leachon, Dr. Willie Ong, Dr. Jaime Almora, Dr. Joe Santiago, Dr. Jean Pauline Ubial, Dr. Ted Esguerra, Dr. Jim Sanchez. Also included are nurses who are leaders and bedside angels to dying patients, namely Melbert Reyes, Neris Gerial, Tita Barcelo, Fem Octaviano and more nurses.
On the economic side, the book also engages business leaders in the forefront of their “flock” who are barely surviving to business people who are pivoting in the spirit of survival for their people, namely Benedicto Yujuico, Sherill Quintana, Rose Ong, Sergio Ortiz Luiz, Rhoda Caliwara, Jorge Wieneke, Sarah Mateo and more business leaders. The book also has the positive insights of iconic business personalities like Francis Kong, Samie Lim, Josiah Go, Johnlu Koa, Bing Limjoco, Jun Palafox, Yeng Tupaz, Jose Magsaysay, Victor Paterno, Marites Allen, Henry Tenedero, RJ Ledesma, Butz Bartolome, Alice Liu, Yvette Orbeta, Lito Villanueva, Giovanni Melgar, and more. The richest Filipino Manny Villar is joined in by the richest self-made Billionaire Injap Sia, along with social entrepreneurs Tony Meloto, Chit Juan, and more. Best-selling authors are also featured namely, Paulo Tibig, Chikee Tan, Eric Soriano, Ardy Roberto, Mon Abrea, among others. Also featured are celebrity hosts and journalists whose questions are hard and deep for humanity in this pandemic experience like Boy Abunda, Karen Davila, Julie Yap-Daza and Nestor Cuartero.
Even Apo Whang-Od, the world-renowned tattoo artist has her share of the pandemic experience. But as the pandemic didn’t spare anyone in the society, also in the list are celebrities who are holding on to their hope as the spotlights are momentarily gone for their craft to showcase like Dulce, Ebe Dancel, Noel Cabangon, Vehnee Saturno, Isay Alvarez, Angeli Bayani, Maria Isabel Lopez, Freddie Webb, among others. And as the pandemic led to education crisis, education Leaders Atty. Danny Concepcion, Bert Tuga, Diosdado San Antonio, Nepomuceno Malaluan, Ramelle Javier, Nilo Rosas, along with other educators with great stories like the indigenous teacher Gennie Panguelo, blind teacher Camille Mercado, teacher-to-the-islands Windell Alvarez. Other leaders of the professional world are also included in the book like Jeffrey Singson, Alfred Carandang, Joan Tabinas, Mila Llanes, and more.
On the spiritual side, the book features religious and spiritual personalities like Fr. Jerry Orbos, Fr. Jerome Marquez, Pastors Reuel Tica and Art Medina, Sr. Agnetia Naval, Ms. Fatima Soriano, and more. This article may not be able to enlist everyone in the book, but they are all as precious as those aforementioned. Co-author in this project is Lyca Balita, also a BusinessMirror writer. Robert Seña contributes his positive photography while Illustrations are provided by Aimee Balita.
The book LIFE-GIVING FORCES celebrates the positive aspects of the experience, not undermining the trauma that the pandemic experience brings to countless lives. It is not an attempt to ignore the devastating effect it brings people, families, communities and businesses. It documents some footprints of the pandemic experience that can teach the lessons beyond the pandemic.
Cooperider concludes and asserts that “one thing is evident and clear as we reflect on the most important things we have learned with AI: human systems grow in the direction of what they persistently ask questions about and this propensity is strongest and most sustainable when the means and ends of inquiry are positively correlated. In short, as we ask positive questions, we grow in the direction of the positive. The positive means used in the story-telling leads to its positive end, which are lessons learned and life changed.
The bookLIFE-GIVING FORCES: The Pandemic Stories of 120+ Men and Women Appreciated through the Positive Lens will be launched on May 29, 2021, virtually. Watch out for more information or message 0910-292-8889.
For feedback, please send e-mail to drcarlbalita@yahoo.com.