“Wow, oooo, yay, this feels like a roller coaster!” These were the gleeful exclamations of the seven-year-old sitting near me on the airplane. To me it was just turbulence. Where could a simple reframe or change in perspective make your life more interesting, productive, fun, or joyful?
Here are some of my favorites.
I can’t => I don’t know how yet
I have to => I get to
I’m anxious => I’m excited
It’s hard => What would make this easy?
I dread this => What could make this fun?
I failed => How can this make me smarter and/or stronger?
I failed => It’s the middle of the story
Reframing or finding another perspective are key to self-compassion, habit formation and willpower, and time management. They can help us focus on what matters, take a longer term perspective, and increase our motivation.
Here are some additional reframes offered by others.
It is what it is => It becomes what I make it
About conflict in relationships: turbulent => sparkle (an opportunity to deepen understanding, trust, and relationships)
No, I can't => Here's what I can do
Looks like we have a problem => Looks like we have a challenge
Looks like we have a problem => What's good about this?
Looks like we have a problem => What's right about what's wrong?