The Power of Reframing: Positive Psychology teaches us that the stories we tell ourselves shape our reality, our potential, and our subjective well-being.
- Capella Fahoome
- Aug 27
- 2 min read
Overview
A personal story of reframing. It is not just a research-backed tool for resilience, but a source of daily transformation and gratitude.
When I was nine, my grandmother surprised me with tickets to see Annie at the #FisherTheater in #Detroit — a rare treat for a child of a working-class family. As the curtain fell, I was overcome with emotion, bursting into tears the minute I got home. My mother asked what was wrong. Through sobs, I declared, “I’ve done nothing with my life!” After all, those young people had already achieved so much: singing, dancing, performing on stage, touring—all while I felt like I was simply a kid going to school.
In that profound moment, my brilliant mother said something that sticks with me to this day. She reframed the story I was telling myself from one of failure and inadequacy to one with lessons rooted in positive psychology and meaning-making. She proclaimed, “YOU are the most important part of that production! You are the audience!!! Without you, there is no show, no actors, no tour!” That reframing didn’t just lift my spirits; it gave me a sense of purpose, connection, and engagement, which researchers have linked to well-being and positive organizational cultures.
Since that day, I’ve been a devoted patron of the #theater, especially #musicals —always remembering that where you sit, what you witness, and how you support others truly matter. As coaches and leaders, we shape the stories that fuel growth, inclusion, and meaning for ourselves and those around us.
Never underestimate the power in the stories we tell ourselves—they can turn tears of inadequacy into lifelong #joy and fierce #purpose.
My mom was a waitress for 20 years before returning to school, earning her BS, MS, and Ph.D. in Education Evaluation and Research. Her dissertation: A Monte Carlo Study of Twenty-one Nonparametric Statistics with Normal and Nonnormal Data. Her advisor later revealed that one study would have sufficed. 🤯 💛
