“Declarations are speech acts in which the speaker – out of nothingness – brings forth a new world of possibilities, a new way of seeing things, a new playing field on which to play.”
- Language and the Pursuit of Happiness by Chalmers Brothers
We spend our days communicating, and we fluidly shift among different “speech acts”. We use these different forms of speech often with some awareness of the different forms. Briefly:
- Assertions (“this is true”; factual)
- Assessments (“this is what I believe is true”; opinions)
- Declarations (“this can be”; a visionary statement)
- Requests, offers and promises (implied or specific agreements that we make with each other)
When I am working with a client using the Goal Achievement Method and we are working with his/her vision, it is, in essence, a declaration statement of what s/he desires to be. It is forward looking, and does not contrast the current state with the future state. It is only a statement of the future. What I like about Chalmer’s definition is that the very act of making the declaration begins to create something new, open new possibilities. It creates a new context that we can step into.
Dreams, Visions, Goals and To Do Lists are all items that articulate transitions from a current state to a future state. In general, as I see it:
- Dreams are often ethereal, “out there” beyond our reach; they feel like they are much bigger than our own self and often change the world in some significant way. They are often kept hidden from others as secret desires. Dreams are open ended, “some day” wishes. It can feel very risky to reveal our dreams.
- Visions are more tangible, and they often make us stretch far beyond our current comfort zone. The difference is that more often the person places him/her self in the future state as the main actor, and usually there are more concrete details than a dream. Sometimes there is a timeline defined, sometimes a vision is a state of being to continually aspire to.
- Goals are the Vision broken into tangible, actionable pieces that have a timeline and a tangible outcome identified.
- To Do Lists are the individual action steps that keep the progress and momentum for the Goal moving forward.
Declarations are important statements that we make for our dreams and our visions. There is a feeling of courage and inspiration that is felt in declarations. Here are some famous declaration statements. Can you feel the difference between dreams, visions and goals?
“We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” – Declaration of Independence
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” – John F. Kennedy, Address Before a Joint Session of Congress, 25 May 1961
“I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’ ” – Martin Luther King, “I Have a Dream” Speech
These are the most famous declarations in our US history. What is your historical declaration for your life, your family, your community?
All the best, Mj
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