Point of VIEW

Have you ever had a really bad thing happen to you and some time later, that really bad thing turned into a really good thing? Things happen in life that interrupt the path we are on and can be stressful or overwhelming. Look at Christopher Columbus. Imagine how he felt when he was attempting to sail to the West Indies, and then North America got in his way. This interruption, led him to discover America, which he then viewed as a good thing. This approach to point of view is called reframing and it’s changing the way you look at something to experience it differently.

To re-frame a situation, step back from what is happening and consider other ways you might view the negative event, such as:

  • Is this a learning experience? 
  • Ask yourself the best way to accomplish or overcome the challenge.  This helps you focus on a solution, rather than the problem.
  • Are there assumptions you have made that are causing you to think negatively about this situation?
  • What are the benefits, if any? Could there be a blessing in disguise?
  • Find the humor and think how someday you may look back at this and laugh. 

Stressors will always exist in the world, but we have the ability to control our reaction to them. When you start to feel pressured or tense, try to use reframing to look at the situation differently.

"Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."   John Wooden