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So, by now you know I’m obsessed with reframing. In short, it goes like this: Your brain is a lazy piece of meat, it needs to be shocked into seeing things differently!

I absolutely love these classic movies and each one of them is all about reframing. If you want to become a master of changing perceptions, do as I do and watch them again and again. It’s fun work.

1) A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens classic employs the ghosts of past, present and future to change an old man’s mind, which changes his life. Get to know it like the back of your hand.

2) It’s a Wonderful Life. “I wish I never lived.” So says George Bailey, the hero of this classic Capra film that opens with a suicide attempt. The rumpled angel who overhears this replies, “Yes… Yes! It’s perfect!!” And he’s right, of course. Seeing the world as it would be if Bailey had never been born turns out to be an extraordinarily powerful reframing device that changes his mind and his life. Also, bells ring.

3) The Wizard Of Oz. From “I’ve got to get out of this place!” to “There’s no place like home!” A tornado, two witches, a wizard and a road. A classic of reframing. And the music is beautiful too.

4) Groundhog Day. A gorgeous and elegant concept. Bill Murray’s character lives the same day over and over again until he gets it right. The process radically changes his perceptions of himself, his life, a small town in Pennsylvania and the value of people.

5) The Game. David Fincher’s classic – underappreciated when it was released — starring a terrific Michael Douglas as Nicholas Van Orton is an extraordinary film all about the power for reframing. The man who has everything needs only a new mindset. That’s what The Game is for.

I’m fascinated by stories of changing perceptions changing lives, and these are some of the best on film. As a crafter of perceptions, this is an appropriate occupational obsession. As a human being, I’ve learned to use reframing to keep myself motivated, directed and generally pretty happy through the vicissitudes of life. Advertising to myself is a key to that. This is my ongoing attempt to share that key with you. Enjoy!