So let’s say you ask someone for their advice, and then when you hear the advice, it sounds terrible. Too hard. Too much work. You don’t know how. You don’t have the time, money, wherewithal, nanny support, etc…. And you say so.

Well, my friend, you are stuck in a paradigm. And it can shift. If you want it to.

My friend Chellie Campbell calls it a “Yeah, but…” And it will do one thing for you: keep you stuck. Right where you are. So if that’s fine with you, fine.

If it’s not fine with you, though, then it’s time to shift the paradigm. That is, it’s time to look at things differently.

Imagine you’ve been looking at your world through rose-colored glasses. Well, if rose is not your color, babe, get some purple ones. Suddenly, things look different.

In terms of the aforementioned advice, let’s say, for instance, that when you get advice to try something so new and outside your comfort zone you just shut down and freak. Let’s just say.

You will be tempted to repeat the phrases listed above. It’s sometimes called Resistance.

But there IS another way.

If you’re ready to be open, ready to even just be OPEN to be open to change, you could try this: “Hmm, I’ve never done that. Can you teach me? Or show me the way? Or reveal how it would apply to my personal situation? Because from where I sit, it’s hard to see the steps. But I WANT to see the steps. Can you help me?”

Do you hear the difference? That’s a paradigm shift.

It doesn’t mean jumping out of an airplane, literally or figuratively. It means being open, seeing possibilities instead of obstacles.

My friend Alexis Martin Neely recently posted about the same paradigm shift, with just a different topic. You can read it here.

And give it a try. What’s the downside?

An original post by Sarah Auerswald.