Paradigms-Why they matter

I don’t know how many of us are aware of paradigms or even gave much thought to this topic. Merriam-Webster defines paradigms as “a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated.” In relation to our view, we are going to focus on the generalizations and how we use these generalizations to stay stuck. This is a very interesting perspective and one I hope you enjoy.

“I was never thin,” “I have never been able to stay on a diet or exercise program,” “I’ll never be….,”; if any of these statements sound familiar, we all are guilty of self-sabotage. We subconsciously reinforce our beliefs by allowing the negative statements to repeat in the background while our minds seek out situations to validate our thoughts. There are many theories about why we have these thoughts, but primarily the belief is that it begins in our very early childhood development.

So, when we repeat these negative statements, we begin to focus on scenarios and put ourselves in situations to validate what we tell our minds. For example, “I was never good at higher order math or algebra,” is typical for most females. So, when someone tries to explain to us the way to solve algebra problems, we put up a block. The brain and the mind are very unique in that the messages and signals sent to the body are valuable, but sometimes they are also not correct.

Since this topic is just a bit more intense than normal, I will continue the blogs for the remainder of this week to break down how paradigms or thought processes can be detrimental, but also how they can be changed so that we receive benefits and change our health and well-being. Essentially, we are going to begin the road to setting new belief patterns, new healthier habits, and we are going to learn how to add reinforcements that aid us in the positive changes.

As you consider the information today, consider ways that you may have already been creating self-sabotage. Journal the thoughts if that helps. Then as we work through this process, we can really dig into the issues and make those positive changes happen. We will start our changes in earnest beginning with the month of October and you are going to be amazed with how your progress moves over time. In the meantime, stay healthy, stay hydrated and stay focused.