Christmas is one of those holidays where you see many different opinions on the spirit of the season. The framing effect is a cognitive bias in which people have decided whether something is a positive or a negative. Any bias is influenced by the way the information has been processed and framed. For example, those who have lost a loved one on or around Christmas can experience seasonal depression at this time of year.
Sometimes the influence is less about the information and more about the wording or tone. Because I traveled on Christmas for more than 40 years, I get up on Christmas Day and try to check out of my hotel (tee hee). The way an issue is framed will impact decisions as well. If you didn’t get anything for Christmas as a child, you might have thought you weren’t good enough or did not deserve anything. Now you might put Christmas in the shame frame. The frame you use to think about Christmas will determine how you show up for the holiday.
My hope for this year is that we can all put Christmas in a gratitude frame. Being thankful for those we share heart connections inspires more love in the world. Now I’d better go because I need to load the vehicle before I can get to my Christmas plans. Oh wait, I get to relax at home this year! I can sit back and connect with the true spirit of the season. If I’m quiet enough, the whispers will fill the space with light, like my Christmas tree.
It’s natural for conditioning to occur. Like pieces in an art gallery, the framing helps determine appeal or the lack thereof. A color surrounded by a black background appears darker than the same color with a white background. This is the illusion created by the way a subject is framed.
Processing and evaluating information can be a time-consuming process. To be efficient, the mind will take shortcuts to arrive at a conclusion. In the process, emotions can lead to a positive or negative connotation. One view becomes more favorable than the other, and a bias forms without considering the long-term consequences. Oftentimes, a conclusion is drawn without evidence or factual information. Impaired decision-making is the product of impeded cognition.
The leverage needed for reframing is to move beyond the initial emotional reaction. When presented with information on people or an event, it’s good to step back. Awareness around the conditions is a step toward framing based on the current reality. Spirit can enter the space you create to deliver a message of guidance.
Playing it safe is a mentality that comes from pre-determined labeling as either positive or negative. Reframing could hold great value with your spiritual growth. Your message is to be open enough to embrace a fresh and new perspective. Initially, this could feel like taking a risk, but the reward could be great. Frame this holiday with love and joy to experience peace in the depth of your soul.
Bring joy, ease suffering and create beauty, then dance like you mean it!
Blessings, Russell
“Like creating a masterpiece, quitting is an art: you have to decide what to keep within the frame and what to keep out.”
Richie Norton
A gift from our family to yours
