from mind to reality

Last week, the top right corner of my screen went dead. It wouldn’t react to any clicks.

This had one life-altering implication: I could no longer click on the “new tab” button.

So I was forced to look at the 31 tabs I already had open — okayfine, 43 — and find one I didn’t need anymore.

The result? My computer stopped freezing. Turns out freeing up RAM makes things run smoother. Who knew.

I could also actually see more than half the webpage logo in each tab. I could find what I needed without clicking through all 52 of them. (Alright, alright… it’s actually 52.)

I liked these outcomes so much, I was almost disappointed when one day the screen randomly fixed itself.

But thanks to that constraint, I now have a fully functioning screen and a record low of 14 tabs. (Yes, that’s a low for me.)

This whole experience got me thinking about how easy it is for challenges to be good things.

It’s really just a mental shift.

In one of the podcast interviews I recently listened to, cognitive philosopher Andy Clark shared how he reframes his own anxiety before public speaking. Instead of calling it “nerves” or “stress,” he calls it “psychological readiness to give a great speech.”

And this is perfectly logical. Beacuse contrary to what we may think, there’s not really any specific “anxiety” hormone. Yes, cortisol spikes when you’re stressed. But it also maintains your blood pressure, supports your immune system, and controls inflammation. It peaks every morning about 30 minutes after you wake up — it’s literally what gives you the energy to get out of bed and start your day.

Serotonin is another great example. Many people call it the “happiness hormone”. And in fact it does have a role to play in that calm, content feeling. However, did you know it’s also a hormone very involved in nausea?

As you can see, the same thing happening in our body physically can create anxiety, nausea, or excitement. It’s the context that gives us the positive or negative meaning.

So having said that, we can choose to reframe practically any situation we want positively. (Not saying you always need to do this — sometimes we need a good sulk. But having the option is always great.)

Here are some reframes you might consider, courtesy of both my brain and Claude:

• Someone is snarky or rude to you in a comment → “Free data on what triggers people” or “Evidence you said something worth reacting to”

• Someone grabs the last muffin right from under your nose → “The universe’s nudge to try something new” or “Confirmation that your taste is excellent”

• Your flight gets delayed → “Bonus reading time you didn’t have to schedule”

• Someone cancels plans last minute → “Surprise gift of free evening”

• You get critical feedback at work → “Free consulting on how to improve”

• You’re stuck in traffic → “Opportunity to practice presence and patience” (Took this one from Eckhart Tolle)

• You feel jealous of someone’s success → “A compass pointing to what you actually want”

• Sunday-night dread for the week ahead → “Weekly reset anticipation”

Got any more? Put them in the comments below!