What if I told you that anything is possible for you? How would you react? Would you say, "Wow -- great news, Jinny! I've been waiting for someone to tell me that my whole life!"
That would be great, but if that isn't your reaction, welcome to the human race!
As I've mentioned in this "Personal Transformation" series, we're so hard on ourselves, filled with negative beliefs, assumptions, thoughts, feelings and paradigms about what's wrong with us or why we're the victims of our circumstances. And most of the time we're unaware how the mindless self-talk is guiding -- and limiting -- everything we do.
In all my many years of coaching people, I've never met anyone without a "monkey mind" -- the little voice that runs a commentary on what's wrong with us and why we can't get what we want and need. So, while the voice will always be there, you can keep it from controlling your life and the results you achieve. To do so, begin by considering that perhaps anything is possible for you.
I've adopted this paradigm for many years and have come to think of it as the ultimate positive paradigm because it speaks to a new reality that's so far out there that it can't help stirring up our basic limiting paradigms. Adopting the "anything is possible for me" paradigm can transform your thinking about everything.
The power of a paradigm shift such as this is a message you've heard before because it's the core of personal transformation -- in fact, personal transformation cannot occur without a paradigm shift.
And there is nothing more exhilarating and powerful than obliterating one of your strongest limiting beliefs!
More importantly, there's never been a time in our history when the world needed a huge army of folks who are masters of the art of the paradigm shift. Imagine what could happen if we approached our biggest problems with the "anything is possible" mindset rather than the current "I'm right, you're wrong" paradigm.
How it works
Truth is, you're already a master of shifting paradigms and of manifesting the results to match. You create your own future. It's not just my good idea -- it's a proven fact of life. Energy out matches energy in. It's a law you've heard many times, in many ways:
- "Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy!"
- "Like attracts like!"
- "What goes round, comes round!"
- "As ye sow, so shall ye reap!"
- "What you focus on is what you get!"
You are an extremely powerful person, whether you know it or not. And you are always using your power -- believe me. It's just that you're either using it in positive or in negative ways -- either you're predicting success or you're predicting failure.
Whatever you predict is what you get because that's where you've focused your power.
It's automatic, and it works every time.
Our minds are incredible devices that store information, reason, memories and dreams. But they can also be devious -- cataloguing negative experiences in a way that we lose confidence in ourselves and our ability to produce results. We do so well remembering our failures and our stupidities -- and then weave complex stories about what we can and cannot do.
So here's how it works. Our negative paradigm is the king at the top of the heap. If we believe we can't, the actions we take (or fail to take) are synced to our paradigm, and it naturally follows that our results are a perfect match for these actions -- and not the results we want.
For example, when I believed that no man could possibly be interested in me (negative paradigm), I was self-conscious around the men I was attracted to, didn't go to places where I would have met more men (actions), and so I had no dates and no boyfriend (results). And the cycle continued, ever reinforcing my negative paradigm, which each time became stronger as I kept getting the results to prove it was true. Sound familiar?
In which areas of your life is this negative cycle at work?
Now here's the good news. You can use the same expertise you use in creating and reinforcing negative paradigms to generate anything you want. It takes determination and confidence, but it works so it's worth whatever you must do to master the art of the paradigm shift. Look at the diagram below ,and imagine that your positive paradigm is "anything is possible for me." If that were the case, what actions would you take and what results would you get?
The combination of the right paradigm leads to the right actions leads to the right results. I realize you know this because you've heard it before, but are you putting it into practice? In the coming week I invite you just to consider the possibility that anything is possible for you -- and next week we'll delve more fully into the ABC's of the paradigm shift.
Louie Zamparini is the real-life hero of Laura Hillenbrand's recent bestseller Unbroken. Despite setbacks beyond our wildest imaginations, he has lived in a way that proves -- again and again -- that anything is possible. Take a moment to watch him tell his inspiring story
What's Next?
Thanks again to those of you who have shared yourselves on this journey of personal transformation. Here are a few of your responses to last week's question, How has taking personal responsibility transformed my life?
- "On the subject of 'who's right and who's wrong.' In a marriage it's best not to make an issue or point out a difference. Just put a coat hanger in your mouth and smile. I think that is why my wife and I are still married after 63 years."
The next article in this series is called "Personal Transformation: the ABC's of the Paradigm Shift."
As a partner on this journey, this week please share your answer to this question: In what ways has predicting success worked for me?
Write your response below this article on The Huffington Post. Or I'd love to hear from you directly at jinny@bestyearyet.com.
For more by Jinny Ditzler, click here.
For more on mindfulness, click here.