You're Reading Into It: What They Said or Did Doesn't Always Mean What You Think

In This Episode…

How do you feel when you think about your:

Past mistakes
Failed business ventures
Grief
Relationships and friendships that ended

There are so many situations, whether it be meetings at work, holidays with family, and others where you can be tempted to "read into" a situation or what someone else is saying. Or you can think about things that have happened in your life and boil them down to a negative reason why things happened the way they did.

Your life is determined by the choices you make about what things mean. The meaning of anything you say, hear or experience is the meaning you give it.

Key Points

The meaning that we assign to what happens in our lives is a choice— it's always within our control. In any circumstance, you can look for what’s good or focus on the negative.

We must make a clear distinction between facts and how we’re interpreting those facts. Facts are objective reality but that doesn’t mean you’re a failure— this is subjective interpretation.

The story you tell yourself about the facts is always up to you.When you intentionally assign an empowering meaning to challenging situations, as Marie Forleo puts it. It's very constructive thinking instead of destructive thinking.

What You Can Do

Unhelpful questions like, "Why me?" do nothing for you. It keeps you stuck in a negative head space. Instead, train yourself to ask smarter, more helpful questions that are constructive and can make you productive.

You can reframe things. Example: Attitude of "I get to..." instead of "I have to..."Ask yourself: “What if life is happening for you, not to you?”