Context Reframe

Things that happen to us are good or bad, depending on the context.

When context changes, a bad thing can become a blessing. (The reverse can also be true i.e. a blessing can become a curse.)

There is an old Chinese story about an old farmer, his only son, and their only horse that illustrates this concept well.

One day, the old farmer's horse ran off. The son despaired, “What bad luck!” The old farmer replied, “Good or bad luck, too soon to tell.”

A few days later their wayward horse returned along with 6 wild horses. The son exclaimed “What great luck!” The old farmer replied, “Good or bad luck, too soon to tell.”

The next day while working the horses, one horse threw the son off its back and broke his leg. The son cried, “What bad luck!” The old farmer replied, “Good or bad luck, too soon to tell.”

Days later, war broke out and the King's army rounded up all the able bodied young men to fight at the battle front. The son was spared thanks to his broken leg.

After the leg healed, father, son and 7 horses worked the farm, and prospered.

Good luck? Bad luck?

Who can tell! It all depends on the context.

Changing the context of an experience or something that happens to us can change how we perceive, interpret and react to it.

In NLP, context is changed using the conversational technique of Context Reframing.

In Context Reframe, a person changes the context by taking the unfortunate behavior or event, and asks:

     • "Where could this behavior / situation be valuable?"

     • "In what other context would this behavior / situation be a blessing?"

Look for Something Good in it.

When we suffer a setback, do not just dwell on negative thoughts. Adopt the attitude that there is always something good in everything that happens to us.

Reframe the setback.

Ask, "In what context would this setback have value?" "What else does this setback mean?" "In what way, could this setback be positive or a resource?"

One day, Simon Purchall fell off his bicycle on his way to work. He fell so hard on his face that several of his teeth were broken. He needed a major operation to repair his broken teeth. It was a dark day for Purchall.

Purchall’s day got even darker when he enquired about the cost of the dental operation needed to get his teeth fixed. It required a king’s ransom of over ₤20,000. Purchall could not afford such a princely sum of money.

Purchall’s wife Veronika, who was from Hungary, suggested to her husband to check out the dentists from her native Budapest. Taking up his wife’s suggestion, Purchall found that he could get his teeth fixed in Budapest for just ₤4,000. His day started to get brighter.

Purchall’s star got even brighter when he took the step to get his teeth fixed in Budapest. It turned out that the standard of service and expertise of dentists in Hungary were no different from those in the UK, though they provide the service at a mere fraction of the UK cost.

The Purchall family then asked themselves the reframing question, “In what context would this event have value?” It then hit upon the Purchalls that they could set up a company to arrange dental services in Hungary for British residents.

The couple started a company called SmileSavers Hungary which quickly became a beaming success.

Today, Purchall and his wife enjoy a wealthy lifestyle thanks to the cycling accident that broke Purchall’s teeth, and the reframing that turned his fortune from black to white to gold!

What is reframing all about?

If we view something as negative, the message we sent to our brain is negative and unresourceful. Our brain then produces states that turn our negative thoughts into reality.

If we change our frame of reference by looking at the same situation from a different point of view, looking for the positive in it, we can change the way we respond in life.

We can change our representation or view about anything, and in a moment change our states and behaviors, and hence our lives - like the Purchalls.

So, whenever something negative happens to us, look for the positive in it. It may be a golden opportunity knocking on our door.

That is reframing in a nutshell.

Context Reframe