Reality is what you make of it. As the neuroscientist Anil Seth says, "Everything that we perceive is a construction of the brain."
Our beliefs and conditioning define and confine the reality we experience.
That is why reframing is like a mental superpower. Reframing allows you to see situations from a different angle. It's like taking a familiar picture and suddenly noticing a new perspective hidden within the frame. This shift in viewpoint can dramatically impact your thoughts, feelings, and even your actions. It can open up new possibilities, create new energy and reshape reality itself.
We don't just passively perceive the world; we actively generate it. The world we experience comes as much, if not more, from the inside out as from the outside in. — Anil Seth.
A few days ago, in a conversation with my dear friend Annelieke, the topic of guilt came up, and with just one sentence, she allowed me to reframe my relationship with guilt.
Guilt is an expression of love and deep loyalty.
Just let these words sink in for a moment.
If you feel guilty for some wrong you've done to someone or something, it's because you love and are loyal to that person or thing. If you weren't, you wouldn't just care. In my case, that thing is often the image I have of myself. If I feel guilty, it's because I love. This shift in perspective opened up a whole new space of possibilities for me.
Reframing is magical. However, it can be hard to do it alone because we are so good at telling ourselves all sorts of stories. So, find someone who helps you reframe your reality and experience its magic.