<![CDATA[Christopher von Spitzer dot com

<![CDATA[Christopher von Spitzer dot com - VAWs]]>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:41:51 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[#139: The Metamorphosist Series: Creative Reframing in Letter A: #3 Annoyed -> Fascinated]]>Sat, 08 Aug 2026 22:15:18 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/139-the-metamorphosist-series-3-creative-reframing-in-letter-a-annoyed-gt-fascinated

A metamorphosist: Someone with the awareness and agency to creatively decide when to transform disempowering habitual language patterns into more empowering choices.

Meaning:
The meaning we're focused on is "fascinated." When you find yourself extremely interested, or, another way to put it, it captures your interest as if it were by a spell.

Challenge:
One major challenge of using the word “annoyed” quite frequently is that it immediately puts you in a disempowering state.

It makes you focus on what’s not working because you’re not getting what you desire. In other words, the outside conditions are not matching your inside expectations. In addition, feeling annoyed can lead to stronger emotions such as frustration, anger, or even rage.

Advantage:
One major advantage of using this word, "fascinated," more often is that it can put you in an empowering state immediately.

It makes you focus on what’s working because, even though you’re not getting what you desire, you transform how you perceive the situation; in other words, the outside conditions are perceived differently to match your inside expectations or the meaning you create about the situation. When you are fascinated by an inconvenient situation, alternative emotions such as peace, wonder, or compassion may arise.

Questions:
Annoyed:
Are you expecting life to always go a certain way when it doesn’t? To put it directly, are you being too much of a control freak at times?

Fascinated:
How can you be fascinated by life when it doesn't seem to go your way? To put it more directly, are you willing to change your perception?

Context:
There are times when "fascinated" doesn't feel or fit right; it seems off-key or misplaced, even inappropriate for a serious situation.

The focus here is on how our habitual language patterns affect our perceptions and feelings and on committing to having more agency in our decisions. In other words: Am I "fascinated" at the moment so I can stay resilient and curious in finding an alternative way of perceiving the situation (or the person), or is "annoyed" the most appropriate word to use right now?

You decide based on the situation.

Your Creativity:
Maybe you don't like using "fascinated" to replace "annoyed" in your particular context.

What language pattern (choice of habitual word or phrase) might you use instead?

Warning:
The intention is not to devalue an experience someone has gone through (or is going through) that has caused (or is causing) bottled-up negative emotions.

Since research shows that language can affect our emotional state*, the real outcome is to give you creative choices.

In other words, to replace an English word or phrase you habitually use that gets you into a disempowering emotional state (because of the particular experience/memory/context) with a word or phrase that helps you get into an empowering emotional state (utilizing the power of perception), thus interrupting the negative emotional pattern and giving you more agency to decide how you will move forward.

-Christopher

*Brooks, J. A., Shablack, H., Gendron, M., et al. (2017). The role of language in the experience and perception of emotion: A neuroimaging meta-analysis. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 12(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw121

]]><![CDATA[#138: The Metamorphosist Series: Creative Reframing in Letter A: #2 Afraid -> Being Tested]]>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 06:28:12 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/138-the-metamorphosist-series-creative-reframing-in-letter-a-2-afraid-gt-being-tested

This VAW was created by Christopher von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com X: @letsaskqqs https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

A metamorphosist: Someone with the awareness and agency to creatively decide when to transform disempowering habitual language patterns to more empowering choices.

Meaning:
The meaning we're focused on with "being tested" is revealing your resiliency in dire straits—pushing beyond your comfort zone when life throws you a curveball.

Challenge:
One challenge with using the word "afraid" repeatedly is that it can cause us to focus only on the terrible things that can happen. It gives us and others no power, because our attention is fixed on a negative expectation.

Advantage:
One advantage of using the phrase "being tested" more often is that it focuses us on growth from the experience. Because our attention is focused on a positive expectation, it gives us and others power. When you focus on overcoming the test in order to grow from it, the test becomes a milestone.

Questions:
Afraid:
It can be useful at times to focus on what can go wrong in order to anticipate problems, but when that becomes your primary lens for seeing life, how much fun is life then?

Being Tested:
What if, instead of focusing on the fear and being immobilized by it, you focused on the energy that fear gives you—because you are "being tested" to see whether you can withstand it as you step outside what is easy?

Context:
There are times when "being tested" doesn't feel right; it seems too rigid or academic, or there is genuine fear telling you something for emergency or safety reasons. The focus here is on how our habitual language patterns affect our perceptions and feelings, and on committing to having more agency in our decisions. In other words: Am I "being tested" so I can grow and give at a higher level, or is "afraid" the most appropriate word to use right now?

Your Creativity:
Maybe you don't like using "being tested" to replace "afraid" in your particular context. What language pattern (choice of habitual word or phrase) might you use instead?

Warning:
The intention is not to devalue an experience someone has gone through (or is going through) that has caused (or is causing) bottled-up negative emotions.

Since *research shows that language can affect our emotional state, the real outcome is to give you creative choices.

In other words, to replace an English word or phrase you habitually use that gets you into a disempowering emotional state (because of the particular experience/memory/context) with a word or phrase that helps you get into an empowering emotional state (utilizing the power of perception), thus interrupting the negative emotional pattern and giving you more agency to decide how you will move forward.

-Christopher

*Brooks, J. A., Shablack, H., Gendron, M., et al. (2017). The role of language in the experience and perception of emotion: A neuroimaging meta-analysis. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 12(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw121

]]><![CDATA[#137: The Metamorphosist Series: Creative Reframing in Letter A: #1 Avoid -> Freedom to Move On]]>Sun, 31 May 2026 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/137-the-metamorphosist-series-creative-reframing-in-letter-a-1-avoid-to-gt-freedom-to-move-on

This VAW was created by Christopher von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com X: @letsaskqqs https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

A metamorphosist: Someone with the awareness and agency to creatively decide when to transform disempowering habitual language patterns to more empowering choices.

Meanings:
Avoid:
According to Merriam-Webster, to avoid something means "to keep away from" or to shun it.

Freedom to Move On:
According to Merriam-Webster, freedom means the quality or state of being free. For move on, it means to go on to a different place, subject, activity, etc. So, freedom to move on means to be free in a decision about whether you want to go somewhere else or be with others.

Challenge:
One challenge of using the word "avoid" consistently regarding others' behavior is that it keeps the focus on what happened to us or to others in a disempowering light (that might be based on false assumptions). It gives us or others no power because our attention is on what we can't control.

Advantage:
One major advantage of using the phrase freedom to move on more frequently is that it focuses on what happened to us or to others in an empowering light. Because our attention is focused on what we can control, it gives us or others power—if we decide to engage with them.

Questions:
Avoid...
When you focus on what you can’t control, how do you usually feel?

Freedom to Move On:
When you focus on what you can control, how do you most likely feel?

Context:
There are times when you can't just have the freedom to move on easily—maybe you want to influence those who "avoid," or there is something you genuinely need to improve upon yourself. The focus here is on our language patterns affecting our perceptions and feelings, and committing to having more agency in our decisions. In other words: do I have the freedom to move on, and if so, should I? If not, what can I or others start doing?

Your Creativity:
Maybe you don't like using freedom to move on to replace "avoid" for your particular context. What language pattern (choice of habitual word/phrase) might you use instead?

Warning:
The intention is not to devalue an experience someone has gone through (or is going through) that has caused (or is causing) bottled-up negative emotions.

Since *research shows that language can affect our emotional state, the real outcome is to give you creative choices.

In other words, to replace an English word or phrase you habitually use that gets you into a disempowering emotional state (because of the particular experience/memory/context) with a word or phrase that helps you get into an empowering emotional state (utilizing the power of perception), thus interrupting the negative emotional pattern and giving you more agency to decide how you will move forward.

-Christopher

*Brooks, J. A., Shablack, H., Gendron, M., et al. (2017). The role of language in the experience and perception of emotion: A neuroimaging meta-analysis. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 12(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw121

]]><![CDATA[#136: The Thinkist Vocabulary: #40: QQQ]]>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/136-the-thinkist-vocabulary-40-qqq

This VAW was created by Chris von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com X: @letsaskqqs https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

]]><![CDATA[#135: The Thinkist Vocabulary #39: CM Over CL]]>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/135-the-thinkist-vocabulary-39-cm-over-cl

This VAW was created by Chris von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com X: @letsaskqqs https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

]]><![CDATA[#134: The Thinkist Vocabulary: #38 Intellectual Arm Wrestling]]>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/134-the-thinkist-vocabulary-38-intellectual-arm-wrestling

This VAW was created by Chris von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

]]><![CDATA[#133: The Thinkist Vocabulary: #37 Espresso Action]]>Wed, 31 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/133-the-thinkist-vocabulary-37-espresso-action

This VAW was created by Chris von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

]]><![CDATA[#132: VR Sketches: 3D Thinking]]>Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/december-02nd-2025

This VAW was created by Chris von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

Research shows the value of thinking spatially.

Finish the sentences:

If I improve my ability to think spatially, I will be able to _________

What if I did ____________ to practice my ability to think spatially?

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2023.1138607/full

]]><![CDATA[#131: VR Sketches: Blue Coffee]]>Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/131-blue-coffee

This VAW was created by Chris von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

Research shows that looking at blue enhances creative performance. In other words, see blue.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4880552/#sec14

]]><![CDATA[#130: The Thinkist Vocabulary: #36 100/1]]>Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.christophervonspitzer.com/vaws/130-thinkist-vocabulary-36-1001

This VAW was created by Chris von Spitzer. www.christophervonspitzer.com X: @letsaskqqs https://linktr.ee/cvspitzer

]]>