A Little Happier: Re-framing Turned a Disastrous Snowstorm into Good Luck.

On the “Happier” podcast, Elizabeth and I often talk about the value of re-framing. I heard a great example of re-framing from my old friend Kim Scott. You know her voice if you’ve listened to the podcast “Radical Candor.” When this re-framing conversation took place, her terrific book Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity had just hit the shelves, and I was helping to throw her New York City book party. That day, there was a tremendous snowstorm. I felt very bad for her; writers tend to get very worked up about anything to do with the publication of their books, and this was her first (traditionally published) book. So I emailed her: “How annoying that the ONE DAY your book party is planned, the snow comes. Arrrrgh.” Kim replied: “I always loved a snow day so am taking it as a good sign.” Instead of thinking this snow storm is terrible, it’s so unfair, why did this bad weather have to happen to me, no one is going to come to the party, etc., she saw the snow day as an auspicious sign. And by the way, all the guests made it to the party, and the snow made it feel especially festive. The power of re-framing!

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