Repeat after me: Paradigm shift. Say the words silently or say them aloud—but let them vibrate and resonate within your heart. Hear the meaning within them, feel the texture of them, the wisdom of them. Familiarize yourself with these words, friends, because these two little words capture the essence of what is currently shaking the foundation of our society and our planet.
First, let’s get acquainted with the word paradigm. What is a paradigm? It is a blueprint or template, a way of looking at the world and understanding it. All of us, from the time we are very small, learn to operate in the world through our various “paradigms.” We may have a paradigm for understanding family, a paradigm for understanding religion, another for understanding money, and so on. Most of the paradigms we operate from were taught to us by our parents, our friends, and our society at large.
For example, a paradigm that has held substantial weight within the collective consciousness is that of gender-stereotyped roles in the family: the woman as the care-taker of the children and the man as the financial provider. This has been a paradigm that has shaped our understanding of family and societal life—-what it is and what it means.
Most of our paradigms are functioning at a level below conscious awareness, within the murky waters of our subconscious mind. Therefore, while we may not be completely cognizant of these paradigms, they nevertheless have a substantial impact on the way we function within the world.
Next, let’s take a look at the word shift.
What is a shift?
Shifting is what happens when the Earth’s tectonic plates re-align themselves after an earthquake. Shifting is at play when you wake up one morning and realize you no longer want to go to the job you’ve been working at for the past two decades because it no longer fulfills your sense of purpose. Shifting is also at play when you have the dreaded and difficult conversation of telling your partner you can no longer be in a relationship with them but aren’t able to completely articulate why—-all you know is things are different and are no longer aligned. Shifting is at play as well when you re-kindle connection with an old flame whom you left years ago, certain you would never speak with them again and yet, here you are…because things have shifted between you.
In essence, a shift is that indefinable, mysterious quality that we can’t quite put a finger on but we can feel within our bones. Shifting isn’t something the mind can understand but it is something the heart recognizes. Shifting is the quality of change that is constantly at play in our lives. It is the ineffable quality that beckons winter to unfold into spring and it is here now, beckoning us to follow it into the unknown.
Repeat again: Paradigm shift. Can you feel it?
We are in the midst of the greatest global transformation the world has ever seen. It is affecting us on all levels, known and unknown. No stone will go unturned and no person will be left behind in the cataclysm of change that is sweeping across our worlds, both inner and outer.
Consider this an invitation from the Universe to step into unknown territory. Dock your boat to sail into uncharted waters. Try that new hobby you’ve been putting off for years. Sing that song, write that book, take that trip.
Give up willingly your old beliefs, your old paradigms, and your old lens with the understanding that something new and fresh waits for you on the other side. Climb aboard your ship and sail into the new possibilities and adventures that wait for you. There is nothing to hold onto and indeed there is no reason to hold on; the shift has arrived. How you greet it is entirely up to you.