Adjust Painful Memories

REFRAMES:  "A reframe is another way of looking

at an issue and can add both depth and liveliness

to the process."

 Gary Craig

In the midst of an experience, our mind is recalling emotions stored from similar incidents.  So we are creating new responses, but we are also coloring them with the old.  This explains why no two people experience exactly the same thing.  Over time, the memory may fade and unaware, we use new colors to recreate the vibrancy.  Colors that may have nothing to do with the incident.

We all tell ourselves stories to support how we feel whether it is about love, rage, or loss.  These tales are filed away for future use whether we are aware of this behavior or not.  Throughout our lives, our mind is like a grand library with our stories shelved and displayed.  When we once again need comfort or support, our mind releases the appropriate chapters in support of those particular feelings. In a sense, we are building a case for ourselves.

We do not always remember the option of reframe which is a very healthy tool.   It is a matter of recalling our story, and rewriting it in a more positive way.  By adjusting the incident in our minds, we can create the experience to be less traumatic.  There is no need to alter the exact moment of crises, but we can alter how we chose to respond.  In our minds through meditation/visualization or physically rewriting the story, we can imagine a different outcome or include statements we wished we had said.  For example, we can calmly face our offender in imagery,  stating we will never cross this boundary again.  We could tell someone how very much we loved them in spite of how things ended.  We can even release all of our pent up rage, so it will stop eating away at our insides causing
disease.

The importance of reframing is to let go of old sensations that no longer apply.  By releasing tainted emotions stored from previous experiences, we are finally able to face current situations with clarity.  We can react to life from our heart without being discolored by old memories.  We are the authors of our life and the illustrators as well.  We can use the tool of reframe to engage in life from a healthier space.