Reframe It

Oftentimes we don’t get what we want, or what we think we want, in life. But in psychology we talk about a, “positive reframe”, which means turning a negative into a positive. It basically involves changing your perspective on something and looking at it a little differently. I’ll give an example.

A couple of years ago my son was living with me and wanted to get a dog. He promised to take care of it himself so I agreed – with some misgivings. Sure enough, my son’s school and work schedule soon made it impossible for him to walk his dog regularly. So guess who was drafted as official dog walker? Yep, that would be me.

At first I was annoyed by the whole thing and grumbled during most of the walk. After a few days though I decided to try and give it a positive reframe and it really turned things around. I realized that I sit inside most of the day (probably like many of you), either talking with people or working on a computer.

It quickly became a welcome habit to get home, change clothes, and head outside with the dog. It was nice to be outdoors and doing something physical. I enjoyed the fresh air and the change of scenery. Pretty soon I started looking forward to it and dog walking became an integral part of my routine. Good thing, since now I have 3 small dogs of my own!

So if there is something in your life that you’re not wild about – especially if you’re stuck with it – try looking at it differently and see if you gain a different perspective. It can make a big difference in your attitude and really brighten your day!