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You are never without choice.
Although we can’t always
control
the
circumstances
of our lives, we can always
choose our response to those
circumstances. You have free
will to decide how you want to
look at your life situation and
how you want to frame it in
your mind.
Unfortunately, our minds often
get stuck with old perspectives
and old stories, even if they
don’t serve us anymore. Re-
framing is about seeing things
differently as a way of creating
new possibilities that do serve
us. Then we are free to choose
between those options.
One way to challenge old
perspectives and stories is
simply by asking questions. It
sounds too simple, but it’s true.
Asking a question requires
having a certain degree of
openness—it
means
not
judging things absolutely. As
a result, asking questions is a
very powerful way to re-frame
a situation and begin seeing
things differently.
Another great way to re-
frame situations is to repeat
affirmations that support the
perspective(s) you wish to adopt.
Through repetition of positive
framing statements, we re-mind
ourselves of how to re-frame our
world view for the better.
To put this into practice,
develop two lists to use for
these exercises. In the first
list, write down at least 10
questions you can think of
that will help you challenge
your world view in helpful
ways. Sample questions might
include: What is the lesson
here? What other choices exist
that I’m not seeing right now?
What’s the gift in this? Do I
want to be right or be happy? Is
the story I’m telling myself right
now really true? Etc.
In the second list, write down
at least 10 positive framing
statements that support you
in seeing things differently.
Examples might include: I
choose to be happy. Nothing
and nobody can ruin this day
for me. I am not my situation.
By Rochelle Forrest
Seeing Things
Differently
Re-framing means
that you look at
a situation and
change your view
of it. You change
your perspective
and sense of the
past, which results
in finding strength
where you didn’t
know strength
existed.
SOAR TO SUCCESS
/
M
ay
2016
/
Personal Growth Strategies