Reframing a Picture

Have you ever been at an antique store or a thrift shop and noticed an old picture leaning against a collection of long forgotten objects?  You look at it and think, "Hmmm, it's interesting, but wow is that an ugly frame." You contemplate it for a few more moments and walk on, shaking your head thinking about that horrible frame.

What if instead of walking way you picked it up and took it out of the frame.  Would this change your feelings about picture?

It's amazing how the framing of a picture can change your perception of it.

Like the picture, the same is true for how we frame our thoughts and experiences in life.  Our initial reaction does not have to become the permanent frame for our reality.  We have the ability to re-frame the experience by changing how we think about it.  Some people call it looking for the silver lining, and others may call people who are adept at the process a Pollyanna. I like to think of it as saving myself a lot of undesired stress.

I'm not saying this is always an easy thing or that you should ignore the reality of the situation. However, re-framing your thoughts, even for a little while, gives you a better emotional place to start dealing with some of life's bigger issues. If it's not a big issue, then re-framing can move you past the situation a little faster. It is especially helpful in those times when you have little or no control over the outcomes.

So the next time you find yourself stressed, upset or unhinged about a situation, take a step back, look at the frame you've put around it and instead of walking away, ditch the frame to change the picture.