The Power of Reframing: How a Shift in Perspective Can Change Everything

Reframing perspective is one of the most powerful tools in personal growth—and yet, it’s often overlooked. At its core, reframing allows us to see the same situation through a different lens, creating space for new insights, behaviors, and outcomes.

But it all begins with one essential ingredient: awareness.
You can’t reframe what you don’t realize needs reframing.

The Reframing Process

Over time—through coaching, self-reflection, and experience—I’ve come to understand the anatomy of reframing as a process with five key steps:

1. Awareness – Noticing that your current way of seeing things is just one version.
2. Intent – Choosing to explore another angle.
3. Possibility – Opening up to new interpretations or meanings.
4. Action – Engaging with this new view in real time.
5. Result – Experiencing the benefits or insights that emerge from the shift.

When you see the world from more than one perspective, the possibilities multiply.

When You Know Better, You Reframe Better

Coaching stretched my mind so much that it can never return to its original size. Still, there were times I had the tools to reframe and didn’t use them—simply because I lacked awareness. I wasn’t ready.

Looking back, I see those moments with compassion. Readiness is part of the journey. And sometimes, perspective comes in unexpected ways—through art, conversation, or daily life.

What Artists Teach Us About Reframing

Some of my favorite artists are masters of reframing. They teach us to see the ordinary in extraordinary ways.

One is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince. In the opening pages, a young version of the author draws a picture of a snake that has swallowed an elephant. But the adults around him only see a hat. They can’t imagine anything beyond what they already know.

The book is full of such moments—gentle nudges to see differently. One of the most powerful is when the Little Prince prepares to leave and tells his friend not to feel sadness in his absence, but instead to find joy in their shared memories. To see his laughter in the sound of bells, his presence in the stars.

That’s reframing.

So is the work of Christoph Niemann, who transforms everyday objects into whimsical visual stories—a coffee cup becomes a man waking up, a pen becomes someone getting dressed.

Or Bordalo II, a street artist who sculpts animals from discarded materials. When you look at his work, what do you see first? The garbage—or the life he brought out of it?

These artists remind us: perspective is everything. What you see depends on how you look.

The Coach’s Role: Helping Clients Shift

As coaches, one of our most valuable tools is helping clients reframe. But how?

One method I love is guided visualization—asking clients to imagine viewing their situation from above, like a bird or from the top of a ladder. This change in mental altitude often leads to emotional clarity.

We also explore beliefs, emotional responses, and narratives that shape current perspectives. The goal isn’t to dismiss a client’s view—but to expand it.

When people feel stuck, it’s often because they believe there’s only one truth, one interpretation, one way forward. Reframing opens up alternatives.

Perspective vs. Reframing

Let’s make an important distinction:

• Perspective is the lens you naturally use to view a situation—often shaped by your past, your identity, or your current emotional state.
• Reframing is the conscious act of shifting that lens to explore other truths, meanings, or opportunities.

It’s like walking instead of driving—you notice the cracks in the sidewalk, the colors of the flowers, the sound of your footsteps. Or climbing a ladder and suddenly realizing your living room furniture could be rearranged for better space.

Or maybe stepping into someone else’s shoes for just one day and realizing their world is nothing like you assumed.

Why Reframing Matters

Reframing isn’t just about “thinking positive” or changing your mind—it’s about expanding your vision.

It helps:

• Break down overwhelming goals into manageable steps.
• Make informed decisions instead of reactive ones.
• Understand how your actions impact others.
• Recognize that support and solutions often exist—you just couldn’t see them before.

Reframing is like cutting down the tree that blocks your view—only to discover there’s a whole forest behind it.

Reframing Is a Learning Moment

Reframing often brings a powerful aha moment—a realization that shifts everything. But these moments rarely happen in isolation. That’s why coaching is so impactful. With the guidance of a coach, clients gain both the awareness and the tools to shift perspective and see new paths.

It’s like shining light inside of light.
A subtle but powerful internal shift that changes how we think, feel, and act.

When we reframe, we don’t just change the way we see the world—we change the way we move through it.

If you’re a coach, what tools do you use to help clients reframe?
If you’re on your personal growth journey, when was the last time a shift in perspective changed everything for you?

Let’s keep the conversation going.