JumpStart Origami Day (11/11/24)

QUOTE:  "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact.  Everything we see is  perspective, not the truth." (Marcus Aurelius)

MESSAGE:  Last week, I shared the Daily Detox Ritual. For last week’s Mindful Monday, I tweaked it a bit so that it follows the acronym SIMPLIFY.  PDF

One question I’ve been asked in regard to the SIMPLIFY ritual is about the ‘F’ (Framing). Ian wrote, “I would like to learn more about reframing or shifting my perspective during stressful times.”

Remember that empathy (specifically cognitive empathy) is when you can understand another person’s perspective and attitudes through knowledge rather than emotion.  The first step in building empathy is understanding (not necessarily agreeing with, or condoning) another perspective. (I can understand why a billionaire would not want to pay taxes in order to maintain their net worth because I’m also aware of my net worth.)

In order for Marcus Aurelius’s quote to come alive, and for us to reframe a situation, we need to look at it from the other side.  You’re thinking, “Why does my student continually miss deadlines?  Reframe it to, “What’s it like to be them in my class?”

Another example would be changing “I can’t” to “I’m not willing to do that now,” or “I can’t do that yet.”

A word of warning about reframing:  Make sure you’re not gaslighting yourself into believing that something is OK when it’s really not. There’s a difference between reframing and creating excuses. (My friend puts me down in front of friends to make them laugh. Reframing Gaslighting = My friend puts me down in front of friends to make them laugh, and humor indicates safety, so it’s OK.)
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THIS WEEK, TRY THIS:   The next time someone says something, or acts in response to you, in a way that catches you off guard, sit with it for a moment and try to see it from their perspective. Now that you see the other point of view, what are you going to do about it?

DAD JOKE:  While working at the Rolling Stones Bakery, you don't always get what you want... but you get what you knead.