Because of a great love, one is courageous.

— Lao Tzu

Finding solutions and seeing the best in situations

Submitted by RagsToRich on Tue, 2009-12-22 12:29

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It is when things seem hard or challenging that one needs most the trait of positivity. The question is how does one develop this attitude during the worst moments of life? This article discusses techniques and attitudes for seeing life in a positive and productive manner at all times.

Often a set-back to a plan requires only a small adjustment to navigate. Even a complete catastrophe which requires one project to be put to rest can be seen as an opportunity to begin another.

The successful mindset is the one which looks for the solutions rather than dwelling on the problems. Perpetually successful people are often those who can enjoy the challenge as much as the reward.

There are several ways of thinking which can be used to view things in a more positive manner. If these ways of thinking are taken up habitually then you become a more positive person.

Reframing

Reframing is a technique which was discovered as one of a number of successful behavioural patterns modelled in the 1970s which are collectively known as neuro-linguistic programming.

If we metaphorically think of situations or ideas as pictures then the concept of reframing can be understood as adjusting that frame.

There are many ways of looking at the world. Reframing is the process of looking at the world in a new way. Ideally we want to train ourselves so that we are looking at the world in the most productive way conductive to our goals. The frame can be adjusted in the following ways:

The frame can be expanded – incorporating more into the idea or situation.
The frame can be made smaller – incorporating less into the idea or situation.
The frame can be tinted in some way – looking at an idea or situation in a new way.

Reframing Example

For example let’s imagine a man who has been made redundant from his job. One mindset he could adapt would be the following:

“I’ve been laid off from my job. I’m running out of money and now I’ve got no income. It won’t be long now until my house is repossessed and I’ve got a long hard job search ahead of me. This is a terrible low for me.”

That mindset would be very negative and not very productive at all. Most of the parts of his mindset are focused on the problems he is encountering and the consequences of those problems.

If we add in some new pieces of information, then this can become a slightly brighter picture. This would be expanding the frame.

Let us consider that the man hated his job, wanted to change his career, and also that he has long wanted to relocate and sell his house. Here is his mindset now:

“I’ve been laid off from my job, which I hated anyway. I’ve running out of money and now I’ve got no income. However it’s about time I sold this house and relocated which I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Also now I can look into that new career I’ve always wanted to. This is an interesting time for me.”

His mindset is still a little flat. So we can reframe a few things, put a bit of sparkle here and there, and get something even better:

“Now that I’ve finally got out of that job I have the time and opportunity to look into the new exciting career I’ve been dreaming about. I’m no longer tied down to this old house, so I can sell that and relocate like I’ve been wanting to. This is an exciting and positive time for me!”

This example is a way in which reframing can be used in order to reframe a situation which was initially seen as a problem into a situation which can now be seen as an opportunity.

Reframing by challenging the truth of negative beliefs

Another key thing to bear in mind with reframing is that you can always challenge any part of your belief about a situation which you are unsure of the truth of.

So for example if someone has the belief that they are a bad painter, one way of reframing that belief is to examine the foundations of that belief to look for fundamentals which may not be true.

Perhaps that person only believes they are a bad painter because two or three people have disliked their art. In which case maybe it is just that those two or three people have poor taste in good art.

Practicing Reframing – Example Excercise

Reframing can be developed on a regular basis just by taking day to day situations and attempting to reframe them in the most positive way possible.

However if you have a spare 5 minutes and want to practice your reframing then there is a very simple exercise for doing so.

First you take a piece of paper and write at the top something which seems to be a problem.

You then write down as many reframes of that as possible, aiming for the most positive and productive ways of looking at it.

For example:

Situation: I don't enjoy my job.

Reframes:

My job gets me money to do the things I enjoy.

My job is the best job I've had.

I'm happy to have a job in the current economic climate.

My job is motivating me even more to get a better career/pursue self-employment.

My job may get better soon because I'm working for promotion/pay-rise/change.

Even though there are some things I don't enjoy about my job, some things I really enjoy.

And so on…

Accepting Setbacks – Looking For Solutions

Setbacks happen. The successful mindset accepts setbacks, and looks for solutions.

One very simple way of doing so is to ask how questions instead of why questions.

Do not spend much time asking why you are in a certain situation. Instead ask how you can get out of it.

This can also be thought of as thinking of the solution rather than the problem.

Do not ask “...why do I not have any money?”

Instead ask “...how can I get more money?”

The mind always seeks the answers to the questions you ask of it. If you often ask it how to get more money it will provide you with the answers.

Using Mindfulness to Accept Setbacks and Embrace Pleasure

A trained mind is able to accept life as it is with ease. So a setback to a plan can be accepted with ease allowing you to focus on the solution rather than dwell on the problem.

When you trip up, enter a mindful state. Be aware of everything, including how you feel, and how you feel about how you feel. Observe it neutrally with a trained sense of mindfulness.

If your ability is sufficiently trained you are used to the impermanence of everything, and you can accept what has happened and what is.

When you are ready – turn your attention to finding a solution.

Another way of using mindfulness is to enter a mindful state when in a very pleasurable or positive situation in order to fully embrace the aesthetic qualities of the experience.

Using Creative Visualisation to Find Solutions

Creative visualisation is a powerful technique by which solutions can be found. This technique is very advanced and requires both a well-trained mind and a good ability to visualise.

Great inventors often used visualisation to find the solutions to problems.

Imagine the result you want, on top of reality as it currently is and the mind will invent the solution which connects the two.

This is a complex and advanced technique which I will discuss in detail in a future article. You can learn more about the general process of visualisation here.

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