Shifting the Paradigm
Life Change
“The eye sees all, but the mind shows us what we want to see,” William Shakespeare eloquently states what is not always obvious. A great example of this appeared in last month’s article that referred to Europe as a “country”. Well, we all know that is incorrect. The eyes saw that error but the mind didn’t register. We see what we want to see, often missing things right in front of us. When was the last time you stepped back and thought about looking at things differently and changing something in your life? How often have you tried to change something and given up because it’s just too hard?
Subconscious Thoughts Rule Behaviors
From the day we are born, thoughts, images, ideas, and beliefs are impressed upon our subconscious. These subconscious beliefs or paradigms start in childhood and are shaped by our gender, our family, our geography, our religion, our schools, our friends, our language, and our culture. There are multiple influences that add layer upon layer of belief until we don’t even realize that every moment of every day we are thinking through filters (paradigms) that were, in effect, created for us by everything around us.
Because paradigms drive our behaviors on a daily basis we are rarely consciously aware of them, yet they shape and create our habitual way of thinking. We make assumptions and reach rapid conclusions as the information we take in through all of our senses is filtered through our paradigms.
Shifting Our Paradigms
Due to the fact that they are ingrained in our subconscious, paradigms are very hard to shift. First of all, we have to notice our thoughts and acknowledge that making changes will be advantageous to reach our goals and dreams. Bob Proctor of the Proctor Gallagher Institute says, “We are really in charge of what we feel. If we want to change something, we can. When we decide to change, we have to change our paradigm. To change the paradigm, we repeatedly change the thought process.” Repeating the new thought again and again over a long period of time will change the paradigm. It takes conscious effort and persistence but the resulting changes will pay off big time.
Set the Goal! Design Your Future Roadmap!
But, where do we begin? Start with the first step – make a decision to change and set the goal. When we visualize that change, we can claim it and motivate ourselves to move towards it. When the going gets tough, redeclare the goal, get remotivated, repeat the desired changes to our thought processes and keep on keeping on. Easy? No, not one bit.
Oftentimes, you need a nudge to propel you forward. Many say, “I can do it myself,” and several days later, they return to their old habits. Why? It takes 21 days to form a habit, and longer if that habit has been ingrained for a lifetime. When we are challenged by change, a coach can often bring the idea of a “3rd eye.” Our two eyes see what we want them to see, the 3rd eye lets us stand back and observe a bigger picture. Success happens when you start to see your challenge in new ways and recognize new solutions. Going solo prolongs reaching the goal. Self-motivation comes and goes and often isn’t enough to reach the goal alone.
When you decide to change, set yourself up for success. Be sure you find a coach that is the right fit! Determine the change, set the goal, map the course, and execute. Along the way, your coach will provide a fresh perspective, guide you through a productive process, give encouragement, be an excellent sounding board and join you as your co-pilot on your journey to greater success!