Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Rewriting the Story (Resilience Through Perspective)
Catastrophic thinking can make one bad moment feel like the end of the world.
One mistake. One heartbreak. One job loss. One format flip.
And suddenly your brain announces, “That’s it. We’re done.”
In Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure, in the P: Positive Psychology section, I share the mindset shift that changed my life — and it came from my dad.
Early in my career, I made what I thought was a massive mistake.
I was spiraling, already writing the obituary for my future.
My dad just looked at me, smiled, and said,
“It’s only Victorville.”
And that line became a lifelong anchor.
What he meant was:
This moment feels big, but it isn’t final.
This chapter feels heavy, but it isn’t the whole book.
You’re allowed to rewrite the meaning of what’s happening.
I’ve carried that phrase through job losses, heartbreak, reinvention, grief…
And every time, it reminds me:
Perspective is power.
So here’s the tool from Chapter 1 — the Perspective Reframe:
Ask yourself:
How will this look in six months?
How would I tell this story later?
And what am I assuming that might not be true?
You can’t always change the situation —
but you can change the story you tell about it.
And that changes everything.
If this helped reframe your day, like it, share it, and explore the P: Positive Psychology tools inside Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure, available wherever books are sold.
amazon.com/dp/B0FWYQH3M7
Rewriting the Story (Resilience Through Perspective)
Catastrophic thinking can make one bad moment feel like the end of the world.
One mistake. One heartbreak. One job loss. One format flip.
And suddenly your brain announces, “That’s it. We’re done.”
In Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure, in the P: Positive Psychology section, I share the mindset shift that changed my life — and it came from my dad.
Early in my career, I made what I thought was a massive mistake.
I was spiraling, already writing the obituary for my future.
My dad just looked at me, smiled, and said,
“It’s only Victorville.”
And that line became a lifelong anchor.
What he meant was:
This moment feels big, but it isn’t final.
This chapter feels heavy, but it isn’t the whole book.
You’re allowed to rewrite the meaning of what’s happening.
I’ve carried that phrase through job losses, heartbreak, reinvention, grief…
And every time, it reminds me:
Perspective is power.
So here’s the tool from Chapter 1 — the Perspective Reframe:
Ask yourself:
How will this look in six months?
How would I tell this story later?
And what am I assuming that might not be true?
You can’t always change the situation —
but you can change the story you tell about it.
And that changes everything.
If this helped reframe your day, like it, share it, and explore the P: Positive Psychology tools inside Flipping the Format on the Fear of Failure, available wherever books are sold.
amazon.com/dp/B0FWYQH3M7
