Earlier this year I registered for a conference in June that I was eager to attend. But given the reality of the pandemic, I was anticipating a somber cancellation email citing unprecedented times.
Instead, I received an email from the CEO that rippled with delight, “Great news! I’m thrilled to announce that the 2020 event will now take place in October!”
And in an instant the cloud over this conference dissipated…
Perception dictates how quickly we can recover from difficulties, whether in a crisis, at a crossroads, or in a conversation.
George Boonanno, a psychologist at Columbia University explains that events are not good or bad… unless we perceive them as such. The experience we have of an event is not inherent in the event – our experience dwells in how we psychologically construe the event.
Fortunately, we hold the power to interpret, add meaning to, and frame an event as: good, bad, insignificant, traumatic, positive, negative.
And the frame we choose determines the strength of our resiliency:
• If we frame an adversity as a threat, we will be unadaptable, weakened, paralyzed by fear, and at risk of a downward negative spiral.
• If we frame an adversity as a challenge or an opportunity, we will be galvanized to keep moving, learning, growing, strategizing, and innovating.
Caution, however, we tend to frame unconsciously and based on past experiences.
To temper the past, intentionally frame the present, and ensure resilience for the future, explore these Reframing Questions with your team/friends/family:
• What potential things could we gain from this?
• What are we discovering about ourselves?
• What can we do instead?
• What lessons have we learned?
• What is positive and valuable about this experience?
• How is this situation an opportunity for us?
There are no black clouds unless you believe it. ~ David V. Bush, author of Grit, Gumption, and Spunk