Reframe Your Thoughts

I remember watching my first Olympic games in 1968, the Mexico games, on our black and white television.  Lying on the floor in front of it as a 7 year old and being absolutely mesmerised by the gymnasts.  I loved gymnastics and right then and there I decided that I was going to be an Olympic gymnast for Canada.

At the age of 9 my best friend Sharon and I decided to try out for an elite gymnastics club, the Winstonettes.  Sharon’s mother drove us there that day and I remember being so excited!  This was going to be the start of my Olympic dream.

As I ran up to the registration table it was all that I could do restrain myself, the excitement was so overwhelming and I remember almost yelling my name at the poor lady sitting on the other side! 

She ticked my name off the list and pointed to another woman over at the wall.  As I ran over to her she briskly told me to stand against the wall and took my height.  Then she told me to stand on the scales that were to her right sitting on the floor.  I dutifully did as I was told and in a very loud voice she exclaimed, ‘Oh no, you’re too fat to do gymnastics, you can’t go in.”

Me as the “too fat” 9 year old

In that moment my dreams were shattered.  My best friend Sharon was invited in and I had to wait for over an hour in the foyer waiting for her so her mother could drive us home.  It was all I could do to hold back my tears.

Once we arrived at Sharon’s house I remember running the 3 houses down the road, in our back door, slamming it shut, up the 5 steps, running down the hallway into my bedroom and slamming the door.  I then dove head first on to my bed and promptly burst into tears.

I heard my mom coming down the hallway, probably to give me hell for slamming doors, but once she saw me in tears she came and sat on my bed.  Pulling me up towards her she asked what the matter was and a blubbering “I’m to fat for gymnastics, I can never ever do it again” came out of my mouth.

At that point she gave me two good pieces of advice:

1.      She said “Never let anyone ever tell you that you can’t do something.  If you want to do gymnastics, then you do it and then

2.     If you want to go to the Olympics, why don’t you try another sport.

At that moment in time she was teaching me to reframe my thoughts and building my resilience all at the same time.  If I couldn’t get to my dream destination one way, then find another way.

I have used this throughout my life, through all areas of my life and it has certainly helped build my resilience.

So what goal or destination is in your life that reframing your thoughts might help you to achieve?