redefining, reclaiming & reframing

how to redefine, reclaim & reframe (within religion or after leaving religion):

exploring & examining our beliefs is a healthy & normal part of being human. when we explore our beliefs, something beautiful happens: we get the chance to reclaim our power as we redefine terms & reframe our experience.

things that once were

• “good” or “bad,”

• “right” or “wrong,”

• “righteous” or “unrighteous”

can have entirely different labels, according to how we feel. some possible phrases we might use to reframe or redefine:

• this works for me

• this doesn’t work for me

• this resonates with me

• this doesn’t resonate with me

• this aligns with my values

• this doesn’t align with my values

• this makes sense to me

• this doesn’t make sense to me

• this brings me comfort, excitement, happiness

• this brings me confusion, pain

• this is something I need

• this is something I don’t need

• this is healthy for me

• this is unhealthy for me

• this is how I want to live my life

• this is not how I want to live my life

while these examples look black & white due to the opposing phrases provided, each of these bring gray into our experience because it brings US into our experience. these examples of reframe are based on our own opinions, needs & feelings, not some external standard, definition, or teaching.

if we want to reach for even more gray through embracing the possibility of change (versus finality), we can add words like “in this season,” “currently” or “right now”:

• “this brings me confusion in my current season”

• “this is something I need right now”

• “this currently doesn’t align with my values”

we hold the power to redefine, reframe & reclaim our life experiences.

*You can read more of these posts on my instagram page, @religious.trauma.with.emilee