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I must confess that I am a good-weather biker (and skier). It was raining cats and dogs today. But after a quick motivational video, I decided to go for a short training ride on my race bike. Five minutes in and I was soaking wet below my waistline. Somehow my rain jacket managed to keep the wet out above. But the elements kept trying to tell me that this day is not for a bike ride. Funny enough, the more it rained and stormed the more I started to enjoy the ride. The fact that there were nearly no other people on the bike lanes, less traffic on the roads and a slight feeling of invincibility (emphasis on “slight”) kept me going.
Change Point of View
The simple concept of reframing a problematic situation is so effective though we sometimes forget to leverage it. My father tried to convince me in the old days during ski touring or hiking, that there would only be two curves left before reaching the top. Of course, it has always been more than two. And one of his favourite motivational one-liners is that one should be glad to be healthy and not forced to drink coffee with the butt. Ok, not that kind of saying I would use in a stiff conversation, but you get the idea. It is, for sure, a good try to reframe an unpleasant circumstance.
Reframe
So, the next time you find yourself in a tough situation or you have to deal with a seemingly insurmountable problem, try to positively reframe the story. Don’t only imagine people who are worse off than you. I have been told this during my childhood sometimes, but it has not been very helpful. Instead, try to see the story from another perspective. Imagine the new possibilities and long-term advantages of the new situation. And don’t blunder into the trap of doing anything but freeze. Maybe Benedict Cumberbatch can help with this video (Thank you, Margo Aaron, for the tip). Just do. And once your eyes are open and your creative mind is working again, the possibilities are endless.
Photo by Patrick Robert Doyle on Unsplash.
