To increase your emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and resiliency, one must understand how Paradigms impact how we see and experience the world and, thus, our lives.

A PARADIGM is a mental filter through which we view the world and make meaning of our life experiences. Paradigms are made up of our core beliefs. It is our core beliefs that influence the decisions we make every day. We experience our lives from one of four Paradigms: Integrity, Achievement, Duty, or Fear.

Another way to think about Paradigms is to recall an old saying, "You see the world through rose-colored glasses." If you don't know you are wearing rose-colored glasses, everything you see and experience is rose-colored.

Each Paradigm is qualitatively different. As we shift from one Paradigm to another, our life experience also goes. For example, how we view others, feel about ourselves, how motivated we are, and how willing we are to take responsibility for ourselves is experienced through the lenses of a Paradigm.

We are not locked into one Paradigm. We may shift between Paradigms at different moments or even in various areas of our lives. It is not "bad" to be in one Paradigm or " good " in another. They are all part of our human existence. "Good "ch provides valuable lessons.

However, as we move up the ladder from Fear to Duty to Achievement to Integrity, we align our lives more with principles that lead to satisfaction and success.

FEAR:

Fear is a crippling Paradigm. It causes life to be a constant battleground. Pain overtakes affirmative action in our lives, and we feel powerless to do anything about it. The amount of emotional energy used to combat these stresses can increase anxiety, depression, and mental illness.

Striving for Survival

We are motivated by the "have to" or "afraid to" attitude, so we develop a mentality focused on surviving rather than living. Most tasks and responsibilities are viewed as unpleasant, causing us to have a primarily negative outlook on life. Feelings such as inadequacy, anger, and extreme sadness overcome our ability to see the positive things around us. We often express these feelings with destructive behaviors to ourselves and others.

Comfort in Security

Experiencing life in the Fear Paradigm may cause us to attach quickly to any substance or situation that makes us feel secure. For example, excessive intake of alcohol, food, drugs, and sex are reactions to existing in the Fear Paradigm. Feeling lost in our Fear leaves little room for us to develop respect for ourselves.

DUTY:

This Paradigm is where most of us tend to spend our lives. We spend time understanding and accepting how things are "supposed to be understood "d and constantly accept and conform to these pre-determined standards. We behave as we should and do what we ought to do.

Humble Heroes

Duty calls us to be steady, dependable, and honest, working to be good people in every aspect of our lives. The way we feel about ourselves is dependent upon how we perceive others think about us. We strive to be honorable in our daily tasks and may develop reduced self-esteem. Experiencing life through the Duty Paradigm causes us to be humble and good-hearted in our lifestyles.

Often, if we are not careful, we become addicted to the approval of those around us. We stifle our own needs and creative expression because of our desire to satisfy the expectations of others.

ACHIEVEMENT:

Experiencing life from this Paradigm demonstrates strong personal competence, leading to high internal motivation. The motivation to achieve leads us to pursue and attain what we perceive as "success."

Person "l Motiva" ion

Because personal success is different for everyone, the motivation behind this Paradigm will vary. Some may crave the external prosperity of wealth or power, while others may seek internal well-being.

A Dose of Discipline

The Achievement Paradigm is characterized by discipline, hard work, and goal-oriented behavior. Achievement often comes with continually striving for more in some capacity and a mindset that there is always more work. We are less influenced by society and more by our picture of success. Our "oughts" and "sho" lds" c" me fr" m our c" re beliefs, not the outside world.

Within this Paradigm, we cultivate our internal standard for performance and behavior. Though this competitive nature and striving for perfectionism can propel us to meet our goals, it can also lead to high-stress levels and crippling self-criticism.

INTEGRITY:

The Integrity Paradigm is about developing inner moral strength. Integrity helps us become more significant than our circumstances and challenges. When we live through the Integrity Paradigm, we consistently take responsibility for ourselves and experience life from a mindful perspective.

Take Responsibility

Integrity requires recognizing responsibility for our actions and reactions in every situation. Though uncomfortable, living with Integrity requires us to confront our self-defeating tendencies and let go of our Fear of failure.

Gain Perspective

Perspective is critical to this Paradigm. To live with Integrity, we must be conscious of the present and take hold of our current situations, whatever they may be. Awareness of how we respond to triggering events leads to higher self-esteem and good relationships. When we live from an Integrity Paradigm, we naturally desire win-win circumstances for everyone we encounter.

Summary

Because Paradigms influence our attitudes, world views, emotions, and outlook on life, it is of the utmost importance that we understand and evaluate them. Once we know which Paradigm we operate from, we can take steps to reach the Integrity Paradigm.