We are all born with a specific set of rules ingrained in us. Some are genetically written, others are environmentally derived. These rules form the patterns and models we grow to live by, our paradigms.
You might have heard of the expression “paradigm shift”. This is the phenomenon of experiencing a fundamental change in your paradigm. In order to make an impactful change in your life, it is imperative to first recognize, then address, the paradigm you hold. How can you do this?
“Do not be the judge of people; do not make assumptions about others. A person is destroyed by holding judgments about others.” – Gautama Buddha
We all face (and, let’s be honest, dish out) judgment every day. What matters is not the judgment itself, although we can often learn something from it. What matters is how we react to it. If we let it get under our skin without cultivating any lesson from it, we lose. We don’t generate any luck by feeling insulted. For the record, we also do not generate any luck by judging others.
In The Alchemist, Coelho writes: “Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.”
This was proven true to me by my two little Pomeranians, Mocha (female) and Twix (male). Yes, we have a thing for naming our dogs after our favourite treats. Mocha has always been tentative and fearful. Despite the fact that her breed is well recognized for surprisingly high bunny hops and the zoomies, Mocha prefers to remain very snuggly attached to mother earth. It can take her a full 5 minutes to muster up the courage to jump up a small step, and she often resolves to roll up in a ball and cry until we pick her up.
1.5 years into having Mocha, we adopted her half-brother, Twix. Polar opposite to his sister, Twix fully embraces performing the high jump. He has lept up and jumped off furniture so high that I’ve dropped my jaw in a high-pitched soul shuddering shriek as my heart shattered, certain that my beautiful puppy has tumbled down to a concussion, or to his demise. Contrary to my expectation, he has always come hopping back up with not a care in the world.
Mocha gets injured much more frequently than Twix, although she leaps less than a tenth of the distance.
In this way, my dogs have shown me that there is no greater obstacle to success than fear. Overthinking about what could possibly go wrong causes us to take shorter leaps, and results in more frequent injuries because it deters from our focus.
You’ve probably heard the expression “you are what you eat.” This is logical… if we eat well, we become healthier, proactive and energetic. If we eat badly, well… garbage in, garbage out!
Let’s take this a step further. Did you know that you are also what you think? Thoughts are invisible to the naked eye… nobody can see or hear them (or so we hope!). What if I told you that, over time, these thoughts have such a profound impact and manifest so clearly in our lives that they might as well be put on a display buffet, spotlights blazing? Scary and a little disarming, isn’t it?
I didn’t come up with this idea. I grew up listening to my parents’ stories and advice that pointed to it: “if you think you can do it, you will,” and “what you think, you become”. I connected the dots much later in adulthood when I started recognizing the dramatic shifts in my luck relative to my state of mind. This encouraged me to read more about the power of thought. Our thoughts shape our characters, behaviors and habits, so why is it so far-fetched to believe that they also shape our luck?
Depending on your cultural background, the words that you associate with past decades would probably elicit nods of appreciation and laughter from people who share the same memories. If you come from an unfortunate history, these key words could also elicit dread and sadness.
As the world becomes more globalized, the dominant notes that come out of the international business language in the 21st century are… you guessed it… “Everything’s good, it’s been very very busy!”
Hack: Dream Life 