Heroes Not Zombies

I’m convinced that both what we see/notice and what we experience are heavily influenced by the circumstances, the environments and contexts in which they occur. In other words, what frames our view or experience influences not just what we see, but what we “make of it”.

Two extreme points are the pessimistic one where everything seems bleak, life seems to be against them, and they notice all the negatives, and the ultra optimistic one, where they always see the silver lining, are permanently hopeful and notice all the positives.

You might argue these dispositions are innate, even genetic, but whatever their origins, there’s no doubt they create very particular frames through which to view the world.

Even if the origin is genetic, it’s my experience that the frames can be changed. We can choose a frame of beauty, goodness and truth. We can choose a frame of kindness, love and care. We can agree with Einstein that the universe is a friendly place.

What frames do you use most frequently? And what frames would you like to use next year?