Being offered Unconditional Positive Regard “is an attitude of grace, an attitude that values us even knowing our ailings. It is a profound relief to drop our pretences, confess our worst feelings, and discover that we are still accepted.”(D.J.Myers)
Here are some ideas about what Unconditional Positive Regard might involve:
- Acceptance of another person: their views, opinions and beliefs, being non-judgmental and impartial.
- Respect: respecting a person in their dignity and brokenness as a person
- Valuing: embracing the person you encounter, and valuing them as a unique and valuable person
- Prizing: celebrating achievements and what is of value in the person’s eyes.
- Caring: being concerned for the person, and wanting the best for them
- Nurturing: wanting to help the person to grow in whatever ways are open for their growth as a person
- Compassion: feeling compassion for how hard life can be for a person struggling to cope, or to find what is important to them, in a world that they may experience as hostile
- Warmth: experiencing a warmth inside for the person
- Love: experiencing the full richness of a non-possessive love for the person in this relationship.
Wide Horizons 