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Fortitude Fridays

Vol. 121: Reframe Your Words — 20 Swaps to Be Your Own Hype Person & More

Welcome to Fortitude Fridays—part mindset gym, part field notes from real life. I share what I’m learning, testing, and using to help you strengthen your mindset, take better care of yourself, and keep showing up—week after week.

Here are a few ideas as you head into the weekend.

Read Time: 7 mins

This Week’s Snapshot:

• Quote: Perfection Focus
• Tactic: Positive Self Talk
• Question: Reframe Challenge

Just a heads-up: No Fortitude Fridays next week—I’m heading back to the mountains for round two of fresh air, no WiFi, and more trail miles. I’ll return the week after with a new issue, a clearer head, and probably another collection of bug bites. Hold the fort ‘til then.

Identifying the Right Details: ​ Make every detail perfect and limit the number of details to perfect. -Jack Dorsey (American Tech Founder) ​ Perfection isn’t about doing more. It’s about picking the few things that matter and nailing them. Fewer details, better results.

Tactic for Positive Self- Talk: Change the Label, Change the Outcome

Shift the words, shift the weight — how one simple swap can change how you think, feel, and act.

Many years ago, when I first read Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins, one idea stuck: the power of swapping the words you use to describe your emotions — reframing.

Reframing isn’t new. You’ve probably heard it before, maybe even tried it. The reason it’s still around? It works. The challenge isn’t knowing about it — it’s remembering to use it when it matters.

Your brain listens to every word you feed it. Say you’re “stressed” and your body believes you — heart rate spikes, shoulders tense, cortisol floods in. Say you’re “stretched” instead, and you acknowledge the pressure while framing it as growth, not doom.

It’s the same principle Navy SEALs use under extreme pressure. When a mission starts falling apart, they don’t call it a catastrophe. They call it “sideways.” That single word removes panic, keeps them problem-solving, and leaves them clear-headed enough to act.

This isn’t about sugarcoating, toxic positivity, or pretending emotions don’t exist. It’s about meeting them on your terms — without letting them run the show.

How It Works:

1. Catch the negative word or phrase.
2. Ask: “What’s another way to say this that makes me feel more capable?”
3. Use that new phrase — out loud if you can — until it feels natural.

Quick note: sarcasm doesn’t count. (“Oh sure, I love being late for everything”) might get a laugh, but it rarely changes your mindset. Choose words that open a door, not slam it shut.

20 Reframes You Can Use Right Now

We’ll start with the ones we all use daily. The rest might pop up less often, but when they do, they can hit just as hard.

If yours didn't make the list, or you don't love mine, take some time to come up with your own alternatives.

Why This Works

Neuroscientists call it the Affect Labeling effect — the words we choose signal our brain on how to interpret and respond. Change the label, and you change the emotional and physiological state you’re in.

Loaded words like “disaster” or “failure” fire up the amygdala, flood your system with stress chemistry, and narrow your thinking. Swap them for something calmer and constructive, and your prefrontal cortex — the part that handles reasoning and problem-solving — stays engaged.

Euphemisms for negative words lower the emotional charge before we even unpack it. That drop in intensity gives us the space to choose our next move instead of reacting on autopilot.

The goal isn’t to pretend the emotion isn’t there — it’s to meet it on our own terms.

Call yourself “stupid,” and your brain shuts down. Call yourself “someone who’s learning,” and it starts looking for solutions. Say “I have to,” and it feels like a burden. Say “I get to,” and it becomes an opportunity.

Words matter — and so does how we choose them.

Bringing It Home

You’re not locked into the first thought that shows up. Words are levers — shift them, and you shift your perspective, your energy, and what you do next.

Reframing is a skill you can practice until it becomes second nature. This isn’t about pretending things are easy — it’s about choosing language that helps you move forward instead of getting stuck.

One swap today, another tomorrow, and before long, you’ve built a way of thinking that works for you, not against you.

Your Turn: ​ If words are levers, here’s your chance to pull one. ​ What’s one phrase you’re going to reframe this week? ​ Pick your phrase. Swap it. See what changes. ​ My answer: I've noticed that saying “This is so annoying” just makes me stew. Now I swap it for “This is character development” — instant book or movie main character energy. Which, let’s be honest, I love.

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Click image to see a video of the sweetest reunion.

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend—and try swapping just one word in your self-talk. Call it a mental push-up. Back in your inbox in two weeks....

You got this,

P.S. If you’re new—welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. You’ve just stepped into a community of people who are showing up, doing the work, and getting after what matters. We’re all about learning, growing, and building real momentum—together. Let’s go!

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