Seven Strategies for Shifting Paradigms

‘But you're not a writer until someone publishes you.’ ~ JULIE POWELL

Share and write about your passions. My friend, Bernadette writes about her love for cooking and baking. She is the equivalent of a Julie and Julia (imagine a journalist whipping up 524 meals in 365 days based on recipes from a celebrity chef!). And she writes very well, and she is a journalist and feature writer.

My Twitter friend wrote about her lifelong relationship with food, mainly about raw foods and vegetarianism. It is a fascinating read as it not always what proponents tout it to be, yet that does mean we should not consider it.

We have our mindsets and attitudes about food, cooking or relationships. We have our paradigms. Even in exercise, we have our paradigms about exercising, or not at all. We question whether three times a week is too much. Aerobic workouts versus strength training; specific training or cross training; once a day versus twice a day; 10 or 25 hours a week. My paradigm for endurance sports shifted when my Coach, Craig ‘Fox’ Holland had me run my first 10km, and then my second. He gently taught me invaluable lessons, upon which I share with you on this blog.

What are our paradigms of learning? Does having an education equate into employability? Which life skills would be relevant for the future? What should we teach our youths?

The formula of ‘study hard, go to university, get a good job’ may be passé, considering that is a sad and significant number of graduates who are either unemployed or struggling in unpleasant jobs post-economic woes of 2009.

Perhaps, the fundamental paradigm-shifting questions to be asked in enhancing our perceived and potential value would be:

1)    Learning to ask questions: Be curious. Be inquisitive. The Chinese phrase for learned is ‘learning to ask’ or ‘xue wen’.

2)    What are our passions? What are we passionate about?

3)    What do we value most in our life?

4)    Which skills do we have that are unique and add value to yourself and others?

5)    How do I want to live my life, and my lifestyle?

6)    What are you doing to exceed your perceived limits? How are you challenging yourself?

7) Which new things have your done lately?

8)    Thoroughly apply your education, learnedness, skills and knowledge.