When we see a familiar pattern beginning to take shape, we can choose not to perpetuate it. We can then ask, “Is this what I really want?” We recognize that bringing awareness to the experience of our lives opens up the possibility for change. We need to look at what is actually happening in our experience when we are triggered so we know what we are dealing with – the thoughts, mental stories, sensations in our bodies, emotions, and the reactions of those around us. But if what we want is greater happiness in our lives, conscious awareness is the key, the first essential step toward freedom from automatic behavior patterns. There is nothing inherently wrong with not being aware. You might find yourself feeling angry or afraid on a regular basis without knowing why. Someone trying to eat a healthier diet is defeated by unexamined habits of food choices and eating patterns. Couples often repeat the same argument over and over, even though they vow not to.
For example, I was waking up every morning unconsciously dreading the day and assuming it was going to be difficult. We inhabit familiar patterns that are based on assumptions we have about the world, patterns that continue until we become aware of our behavior and question the truth of these underlying assumptions. Much of our behavior happens automatically, outside of conscious awareness. Strange as it may sound, I was excited to recognize this feeling, as I knew that once I saw it, it could never again have quite the same hold on me. It was a lightbulb moment for me to see that my days began with the persistent whisper of a “no,” an experience that I carried around well into the morning. And one morning upon waking, I noticed a subtle heaviness that was saying, “Oh, I need to deal with another day,” a feeling I had to slog through to get out of bed, and I realized that that feeling had been present most mornings for a very long time. I discovered quite a bit of tension in certain muscles that never seemed to dissolve. I saw the useless mental chatter that accompanied me as I washed the dishes.
#Personal paradigm shift free#
Several years ago, my interest in freedom ignited, and I realized that in order to be completely free I needed to notice all the ways that I was bringing some form of suffering to myself. Shift #1: From Being Unconscious to Being Conscious Do you want to be happy? Consider the following, and prepare for the inner revolution. With a paradigm shift, old assumptions and beliefs are seen to be false and no longer applicable, and a completely new, fresh way of being takes their place. So if happiness is obscured, it makes sense to wonder why, to ask: how have we turned away from what is so fundamentally true?Ī paradigm shift is a revolution, a complete, radical change in how one views reality. Happiness is our birthright, our true nature, always available. We may live in discontent or be sailing along just fine when something challenging happens, and we are triggered once again. All of us want to be happy, yet we sometimes find ourselves feeling grumpy, hopeless, dissatisfied, or depressed.
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