Want to reframe more to enhance your appreciative intelligence, become more creative or catapult yourself out of a mental rut? One way to practice reframing is to look for contrasts between people, objects or situations. Try this. If you took the best characteristics of two of your favorite products and merged them (for example, mine--chocolate and coffee--which is why Starbucks is thriving; technophiles--the combined aspects of a pager, two-way communication and e-mail, which became the Blackberry), what would you come up with?

Consultant and author Noah Blumenthal (www.leadingprinciples.com) contrasted some of his wife Beatrice's most endearing characteristics and behaviors with thos of his own, and ended up realizing that he could see himself in a new way. He could also then emulate the behaviors he appreciated. His experience resulted in a change in himself and a brand new book, "You're Addicted to You:  Why It's So Hard to Change--And What You Can Do About It."

Noah recounted that experience in his new book:
   Beatrice and I "had been dating for only three or four weeks and were watching a baseball game in her living room. Ken Griffey, Jr. was up to bat and Beatrice was trying to impress me with her baseball knowledge. She said to me," His father played baseball, too, didn't he?" She was referring to Ken Griffey, Jr.'s father who had indeed played professional baseball. At that point, I was duly impressed with her knowledge and was about to say just that.

Before I had time to comment to that effect, she added, "What was his father's name?" I looked at her with some surprise, and I said, "You want to know what Ken Griffey, Junior's father's name was? She returned a blank stare. "That would be Ken Griffey, Senior." Beatrice finally understood her error.

What happened next was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. She laughed. Not a chuckle or a short, embarrassed "sill me" kind of laugh, but a full-on, when-is-it-going-to-end, tears-running-down-her-face, please-make-it-stop-because-my-belly-hurts kind of laugh. I don't think I had ever seen someone appear more comfortable with themselves or to have more self-confidence than she seemed to have in that moment. ...

It wasn't until I really got to see my wife laugh at herself that I realized I was missing out on something. It was only through knowing her that I was able to understand and admit to myself that I was addicted to my own feelings of intellectual pride. My need to be right and to look intelligent affected me in many ways beyond simply limiting my laughter.

Seeing my wife's carefree nature, self-confidence, and eagerness tolaugh was the contrast I needed in order to recognize, understand, and admit to my self-addiction. Her comment about Ken Griffey, Jr. gave me the "Aha!" moment I needed to begin the exploration."

Click here for Noah's new book: www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576754278?ie=UTF8&tag=aide-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=1576754278