Reframing Challenges

“Times of stress and difficulty are seasons of opportunity when the seeds of progress are sown.”
Thomas F. Woddlock
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When we change the way we think about things, we can change the way we see them, and this can open us to new possibilities.

At its core, reframing challenges is about thinking about the situation or circumstances we find ourselves in a different way. It’s about shifting our perspective on an issue, event or how we see ourselves. When we can reframe challenges from being problems to being invitations to grow, stretch and evolve in ways that arouse our spirit of adventure rather than seeing them as obstacles that drain and sap our spirit.

Often this involves confronting our fears. Universal human fears include fear of not being enough, fear of the unknown, fear of being exposed, of being vulnerable, of not being accepted, of being ridiculed, fear of being judged unfairly, fear of failing and so on. If you feel these fears and grapple with them there is no need to beat yourself up, it is a very human thing to feel fear. We are not meant to live a life absent of fear, its role is to keep us safe and alert to danger.

However, if we don’t have the courage to acknowledge and look at our fears they can become invisible barriers that we can’t get past, that limit our lives, self-expression and capacity for joy. Reframing is a practice, a mindset tool that I find myself returning to again and again. I encourage you to try it out and use it. I’m sure you will find, as I have, that will support you to engage with fear, take it by the hand and seek to understand it and how it is endeavouring to serve you. ​

Reflection Questions:

• What message does this challenge/fear have for me?
• How is this challenge/fear trying to serve me? 
• What can I do to work with this positive intent?
• What if I couldn’t fail?

Maureen Owen MDOT – PCC
Transformational Coach, Facilitator & Consultant
Maureen supports leaders and their teams to navigate and lead at the edge. Committed to genuine partnership, she encourages clients to use the challenges they face as catalysts for growth, and the opportunity to learn, to  bring more of themselves, their gifts, their potential and humanity forward. 

​Maureen has over 25 years’ experience working with human and organisational dynamics as a successful coach, consultant and senior manager. Her work has focused on supporting leaders to navigate change, enhance leadership practice, build engagement and develop more robust relationships.
Owen Consulting Services -  www.owenconsultingservices.com.au

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