Thoughts on Reframing

When he was three years old, he was stung by a bee. His mother said “what a naughty bee!” And he replied “Mum, it’s OK. I think the bee thought I was a flower.”

When she was 39 years old, she got a note from the tax department saying that she was due for a $35,000 refund. Then the next day she found out that it was an error. Her friends said “that’s such a let down.” And she said “No, it was bonus money anyway. And it got me thinking more about what’s most important in my life. So it’s all good.”

When he was 52 years old, Covid-19 arrived. He wasn’t able to travel to his home country to see his family and friends for over 18 months. His friends said “you must be really sad.” And he said “Yes, I am. And some people around the world will never ever get to see their family and friends again. So I’m lucky, really.”

Stuff happens. We make that stuff mean something. The meaning that we make gives us the frame through which we experience it. That frame drives what we see, how we feel, the decisions we make, and the results we get.

We can’t choose all of the stuff that happens to us. We can choose the meaning we make from it. And the meaning that we make can turn the thing that we thought was impossible into something that is eminently possible.

In good times and in bad, reframing is a core life skill. 

Thank you Viktor Frankl for your inspiration.

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