Change the Meaning

We can change the meaning we give something. We have that power.

On my first day of teaching at Lakeland University, many years ago, I was a nervous wreck. I shouldn’t have been because I’d taught a lot elsewhere but, on that day, I was definitely wound too tight.

For some reason, I hadn’t worn an undershirt and, halfway through class, I looked down and saw my dress shirt was soaked in sweat. As the thought ‘what a loser’ started across my brain, I thought there must be a better way to look at this. I grabbed the thought mid-air and changed it to ‘I must take teaching pretty seriously to sweat this much.’ And, just like that, my sweat was a badge of honor. 

All by reframing its meaning.