Reframe Your Context, Change Your Story
Chander Shankar
Making a difference via coaching, mentoring and creating excellence.
If I told you there was an accident in a small town 500 km away from where you live, how would you feel? Now, if I told you that the same accident happened just 500 meters away, would your feelings change?
Context is everything in our lives. When we personalize events and make them part of our own story, our reactions differ significantly. Our minds have an incredible capacity to think and imagine various contexts.
In Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), there's a concept called Reframing, where you can train your mind to view the same event from multiple perspectives.
For example, if you're struggling with a project or task, one context might lead you to believe you're a failure. You may feel your efforts are in vain, that no one supports you, and that you're facing challenges alone. However, by reframing this context, the same situation can be seen as your best teacher. Pushing you to your limits, it encourages creativity, new skills, resilience, and expertise.
Every difficult situation has another side that we might not immediately see. It takes conscious effort, courage, and vulnerability to admit that we don’t have all the answers.
A simple exercise in reflection can reveal a new perspective. Another technique is to observe your situation, actions, and behavior as if you were a third person standing 10 feet away.
Every problem comes with its context, and by asking specific questions, we can uncover solutions. For example, if you're stuck on a particular issue, you might ask:
- How is this a problem?
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- When is this not a problem?
Understanding what you have, recognizing your limitations, and asking for help are the quickest ways to focus on solutions.
Here are some tips to get started:
- Become aware of every negative feeling and question it by asking, "Why am I feeling this way?"
- Imagine watching yourself from a distance. What behaviors do you notice, and what would you change?
Context matters. If we can change our story, we can find success and opportunities in every situation.