Reframing

A “frame” is what some people would call to your state of mind, mindset, mental attitude or just mood at a certain point in your life. And therefore, “refraiming” refers to resetting your state of mind at will.

Its nothing new and i’ve been aware of it before, but its something that has been running around my head lately and here are some thoughts:

As someone said, every situation depends on which glass you look through (this translation sucks, but i hope you get the main idea out of it). This sentence is so true. Anything depends on where you are now and what your background has been until this very moment.

Sometimes, “you’re not in the mood” to do something. Some others, you want to do something but you just “dont feel like doing it right now”. This is all because of how we feel, and how we feel depends on how we THINK we feel. It’s all a state of mind.

Of course, there are certain things or situations that are hard to deny: If you’re standing in the middle of a mountain in winter, with icy wind blowing and you think you’re cold…its because you are. It’s physically impossible to feel warm in that situation because the enviroment is telling you the opposite.

Lets get away a little bit away of that extreme situation and say you are in your house.5th floor.8 pm. A freezing breeze blows in your face and you start thinking about how cold this winter is being. Your mindset is at that moment: Its winter, its cold. Its normal. I dont enjoy this cold so i’ll shut the window cos i aint enjoying this at all.

If you can make an effort and try to imagine its not January but mid july. Its been a long hot day and, as the evening falls, the air starts to cool down. Now you’re in a summer night.5th floor.8 pm. A freezing breeze blows in your face and you start thinking about how good it feels after one of the hottest days in this summer. You enjoy this cold, wish it would last forever and a smile shows up in your face.

Same situation. Different states of mind.

I’ve been thinking about this lately because “i dont feel in the mood to study”. I’m saying to myself…as soon as they kill me in this game, i’ll start. Or, at 10h14 i’ll open the book and start reading right away. As soon as someone calls, i’ll start…I’ll start a countercount from 10 to 0. As soon as i say “zero”, i’ll open the book…Nothing works and i’ve been thinking about it.

Why is it not working?

The approach to the reframing is different. The first one is an active reframing. The change comes from the inside and the individual makes an effort to change the situation. You have to make yourself believe in something and that’s not that simple sometimes. The second is passive. One waits for something to happen. Hopes for an external thing that will click one state of mind without requiring one any effort. Like magic. And that’s never gonna happen.

You can also apply the State of mind idea to many other facts in your life, for example: Being lucky, unlucky, being happy or sad…It’s all a state of mind really. Your mind filters the information from your enviroment and takes only the information that reassures his mindset at that moment.

If you’re happy, you start thinking about the many happy things that have happened to you today. Even if it was a neutral thing, you take the positive side out of it. On the other hand, if you think you’re out of luck, miserable and therefore you should be sad, your mind will filter all the information focusing only in the bad things. Even if you win a car you’d still say “yeah…”great”…but how much is this gonna cost me to maintain it?”…

To sum up cos this post is being a bit longer than usual. Set your mind to whichever state you want to. You gotta do it yourself and do it with a positive and active attitude. It wont be easy and you’ll fail a couple of times before you get it but remember the reward at the end of that road will be huge.

DONT WAIT, ACT NOW NOW

Here is a hint: “Act the way you’ll like to be, and soon you’ll be the way you act”