Reinterpreting experiences can give us the courage to start a profound metamorphosis. Step by step we will rebuild ourselves and overcome adversity.
Last update: June 21, 2020
We have all felt at least once in our life the desire to replace negative experiences with others that are a little more pleasant. Unfortunately, we are talking about something that sometimes we cannot accomplish with our actions, but it is in our power to reinterpret our experiences.
Psychology has taught us to do this through a cognitive, humanist and integral approach. Furthermore, psychoanalysis has also shown us the paths to succeed in the transformation.
In this article, we explain what reinterpreting experiences entails, what were the contributions of psychology, with particular attention to the psychoanalytic current. We will also explain to you why we talk about transformation, how to give a new interpretation and what are the advantages.
When we can no longer change a situation, the challenge is to change ourselves.
-Victor Frankl-
Reinterpreting experiences: what consequences does it have?
When we talk about reinterpreting experiences, we mean giving them a new meaning. This serves to show us what happened from another point of view. One that seems less distressing and exhausting to us.
For example, if we have had an experience that has caused us great suffering and pain, we can reinterpret it thinking that it has served us as an important life lesson. Then, seeing it from this point of view, the suffering will seem to diminish.
Each of our experiences is associated with an emotion, and the meaning we attribute to that experience will, in turn, be associated with it. Giving it another meaning will allow us to focus on a different emotion; for example, we can move from sadness to joy. The basic idea is to make the transformation assertive.
Contributed by various disciplines
Psychology has among its various objectives that of studying our behaviors, our thoughts and our emotions. From the various attempts to approach the question, various contributions have been derived on how to reinterpret experiences. Let's see how:
- Cognitive psychology. In psychotherapy there is a theory called cognitive restructuring, with which the patient, with an initial help from the therapist, - identifies the maladaptive aspects of his life. Once this is done, he replaces them with some more suitable ones. In this way, as Bados Lopez and GarcĂa Grau suggest in their article “The technique of cognitive restructuring”, the emotional charge is reduced.
- Humanist psychology. It consists of several branches that focus on the potential of the human being. One of these is logotherapy, whose basic principle is to give meaning to life. That is, we are all capable of finding a sense that helps us to overcome adversity.
It's still…
- Psychoanalysis. It helps to give a new interpretation to one's life and to do so we start by digging into our being, becoming aware of aspects of the unconscious, of resistance and defense mechanisms that we have. It is a form of transformation, as we see everything from another point of view.
- Integral psychology. It offers us a path to give new meaning to experiences. And it does so starting from the expansion of consciousness, spirituality and an integrative approach, which leads us to discover what is beyond ourselves.
Each of these branches approaches the depths of being to reinterpret experiences. In other words, they all start from self-knowledge, because by getting closer to ourselves and exploring ourselves we can find the way to transformation.
Ma we can't always do it alone. There are situations that get out of hand, because they are particularly traumatic or because they awaken an out-of-control enthusiasm in us. In these moments it is important to ask for help.
Our complexes are the source of our weakness, but they are often also the source of our strength.
-Sigmund Freud-
How to reinterpret the experiences?
We offer you several options:
- Get to know yourself.
- Give yourself the right value.
- Think that you are getting intoxicated and think about how you could change things.
- Set boundaries.
- Make a list of priorities to realize which emotions and experiences are not keeping you going.
- Learn to manage your emotions.
- Give yourself some time.
- Ask for help.
While it is easy to say, the path is not without obstacles. Moreover, a large part of the difficulties derive from a single cause: that of walking along paths that have never been traveled; in this way we will have to get lost and find each other more than once.
Benefits of reinterpreting experiences
Giving new meaning to experiences brings great benefits. Let's see some of them:
- Free yourself from tensions.
- Get to know each other better.
- Increase self-esteem.
- Manage emotions better.
- Greater assertiveness in interacting with others.
- Taking responsibility.
- You learn to be resilient.
Reinterpreting experiences is essential to transform oneself. We can choose whether to be among those who go through a metamorphosis or among those who continue to complain and to remain in the state of resignation, without spreading their wings and flying.
Dare to explore yourself; in your depths you will find a sense that will keep you anchored to life with renewed motivation and assertiveness. Make resilience the ability to face future difficulties. Give new meaning to the experience to heal and to move forward.
