reframing

framing
The meaning of any experience depends on the frame we have around the experience, or the context
of the experience. As an example, if you were asked, What does a whisper mean? you might respond
with Well, a whisper all by itself doesnt have any specific meaning.

What if you were in a room full of people who were all whispering back and forth to each other, what
kind of meaning would that whisper take on for you? What if there were a child leaning into your ear
telling you something? What about talking to a physician in a hospital, or nurses whispering in a huddle
with the doctor outside of your room? What about an instructor in the front of a room talking really
loudly and then, whispering a word or two? What do these situations do to the meaning of a whisper?

There are many types of frames, such as the following:

Agreement I agree and . . . (compare to I agree but., or I agree however)

Evidence When do you have it?, what is your evidence for . For outcomes, challenges,
disputes

Backtrack Puts the focus on recent events. Summarise outcomes to close a meeting, or agreed
points during a meeting. Clarifying views expressed during a discussion.

Relevancy Establishes outcomes for discussions, and helps keep people on track.

Contrast To compare the price to the value during negotiations.

Ecology Is the outcome appropriate? What will you gain/lose if it does/does not happen.

As If Pretend you already have it. Can be a conditional close.

Purpose For what purpose . . .

Outcome What do you want? What would you like to happen?

Problem Whats wrong? Whats not working well?

What If What would happen if . . .

Open Are there any questions or clarifications . . .?

Changing the frame or the context around a specific experience immediately changes the meaning of
that experience. The process of learning how to most effectively change the frame of any experience
is called Reframing. For example, using the as if frame, you pretend that some event has happened
by thinking as if it has already occurred. This encourages creative problem solving by mentally going
beyond apparent obstacles to desired solutions.
reframing
Reframing is the process of making a shift in the nature of a problem. It is the process of changing
a negative statement into a positive one by changing the frame or reference used to interpret the
experience. If all meaning is context dependent, and if you change the context or content, then you will
change the meaning. All content is reframable simply by changing the structure, the process, or the
context. This change is done using the auditory digital modality.

THE BASIS OF ALL REFRAMING IS TO SEPARATE

Intention from Behaviour AND CONSEQUENCE.
Intention is the opposite of consequence. Intention is how you precede an action or
behaviour, and consequence is what happens at the end of the action.
Intention to Behaviour to Consequence

CONTEXT REFRAME: Im too . . . -or- Hes too . . . or any exaggeration about a behaviour.

A context reframe is where the meaning changes into a more useful one when we consider the same
behaviour in a different context or situation. Ask, When else would this behaviour be effective? Or,
Where would this be an appropriate response?

Examples:
1. Rain for a farmer (good) vs. Rain at a picnic (not good):
Its too wet for a picnic.
2. Damage to a house from a flood (not good) vs. The insurance money (good):
Its awful that we have had a flood. Isnt it great that the insurance will more than cover it.
3. Father thinks daughter is too head strong (not good) vs. Shell be able to stand up for herself
(good).

Here are some different contexts: location, space, frame size, time, duration,
circumstances, family, business, age, resources, intention, opposites.

CONTENT / MEANING REFRAME: Whenever X happens, I respond Y. (X Y)

Her not calling me means she is annoyed with me

My bosses shouting makes me anxious

A meaning reframe is where we can place a different meaning on the same behaviour,
other than the (negative) meaning that the client has placed on it.

If a person is involved in an undesirable experience, think of another meaning for the

same behaviour that will change their response. Ask yourself, What else could this
behaviour mean? or internally think of an opposite frame or a different meaning. What
is it that this person hasnt noticed (in this context) that will bring about a different
meaning and change their response (behaviour)?

THE KEY TO A POSITIVE LIFE IS TO CONSISTENTLY REPRESENT THE EXPERIENCES THAT YOU
HAVE IN A MANNER THAT EMPOWERS YOU TO GREATER RESULTS.