Changing Your Behavior Requires A Paradigm Shift

What Is A Paradigm Shift?

As defined, is ¹) a fundamental change in approach or assumptions, and ²) the acceptance by a majority of a changed belief, attitude, or way of doing things.

What if your way of thinking changed completely?  Would your behaviors change as well?  People are afraid of change, but change for the better should be nothing to fear! Change is growth and maturity, because if you are not changing you are not learning. Learn to change and you will be amazed at what you can do!  Become a butterfly!

Check out these four articles from four very influential bloggers.  Also be sure to check out my weight loss update and extra thoughts at the bottom.  Digg it, tweet it, stumble it or whatever else you can do to spread the word. THANKS!

BEHAVIOR – The Accumulation Of Debt

This Is Why You Are In Debt written by Marc from Marc And Angel Hack Life.  I recently just found this blog and I am so glad I did.  This blog is LOADED with tons of helpful information to make your life easier, and more enjoyable.  Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“Please remember, financial debt can be avoided and erased.  It just takes a little effort, education, and determination on your end to make it possible.  So as I’ve said before, live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one.  Do not spend to impress others.  Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects.  Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you.  And always live well below your means.” – Marc

He gives you 18 reasons why you are broke and in debt up to your eyeballs!!  This is a must read!  You will only be disappointed if you are in denial.

BEHAVIOR – The Accumulation Of Stuff

This has become one of my FAVORITE blogs!  Leo is a great writer and really pushes an alternative, yet insightful lifestyle.  I only say alternative because most people are on the other side of the spectrum, with lives cram packed with stuff, regret, and loads of stress.  How To Live A Better Life With Less is an awesome read!  Zen Habits is in the TOP 100 blogs on the net, and he is also a best selling author of the book, The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life.  His posts are not only thought provoking but challenge you to think differently in order to experience life’s greater joys.  Here’s an excerpt from his post:

“I’ve worked for more than 5 years now to simplify my life, and while I’ve discovered the sublime joys of living a simple life, I’ve realized most people don’t get it.

‘Why would I want LESS?’ they ask themselves. ‘Less is less fun, harder, monk-like, boring.’

The simple answer: because life can be so much better with less.

That’s hard to believe if you haven’t tried it, but today I am happier than ever. I’m better off financially than ever, now that I’m out of debt and living blissfully debt-free. I am unencumbered by a crapload of stuff, and I have room in my life for what’s truly important: my family, my writing, and my twin loves of reading and running.” – Leo

BEHAVIOR – Ignoring Your Potential

Jeff over at My Super-Charged Life is launching a new series about 12 Smart Living Rules to help you find success in life.  In Smart Living: Announcing a Deep Look Into Living Life to the Fullest, he provides an overview of what you can expect.  I am very impressed and look forward to checking out this series.  Here are just a few of the 13 rules to simple living he intends on covering:

• Smart Living Rule 1 – Take Full Responsibility For Your Life
• Smart Living Rule 5 – Make Your Life Count for Something
• Smart Living Rule 8 – Never Stop Learning and Growing

Most people go with the flow never realizing everything they are missing.  Most people would rather point fingers, rather than take full responsibility for their actions and their lives.  Most people never even imagine how their lives could be different if they had purpose to experience a deeper meaning in life.  Most people are too busy trying to find out who has been voted off of American Idol to even discover that the knowledge they carry is nothing compared to what there is too learn. Most people are too busy to realize LIFE is passing them by.  Don’t be MOST PEOPLE! Life has more to offer and you have more to offer life!

BEHAVIOR – Looking For Happiness In The Wrong Places

In a world filled with materialism and the constant struggle to impress others, Frugal Dad delves into what happiness really is.  What is happiness?  How do we define success?  Is it fancy cars, 2 week vacations, and keeping up with the Joneses?  Of course happiness and success to some is about those things, but I happen to think differently myself.  Money and possessions can provide hours of entertainment and fun, but my happiness comes from a much different place.  Time with my family is very valuable, and helping others is right there at the top.  I have learned that if I manage my money instead of allowing my money to manage me, I don’t really need as much as I thought I did.

Ultimately, as I experience financial peace for myself, I will be able to build wealth without working myself into a grave, and love what I do enough to feel like I am not missing out.  Contentment is something very few people ever experience fully.  They are always in search of the next big thing they think will make them happy.  Go read Happiness For Others Comes From Contentment With Yourself, and maybe it will inspire you to think about what makes you happy.  Here’s an excerpt:

“It was at this point that I went through sort of an early mid-life crisis. Up to that point I had been fast-tracking the career ladder, having started literally on the bottom rung and made my way to middle management. Of course, the promotions often meant more headaches, more travel and not much more money. I came to a point in my life where I would gladly give up the late nights, Saturday mornings and two week cross-country trips for more time with my wife and kids.” – Frugal Dad

A Little Something Extra

I hope you have enjoyed this compilation of great reads.  Maybe these things do not apply to you directly, but if they do I hope you can use this as a constructive guide to reflect on how you can change your current behaviors for the better.  Our behaviors, if bad, can unravel the best of intentions.  What’s important to you and how can you achieve your goals by addressing the behaviors that keep you from reaching them?  Self reflection is the best teacher!

I have currently become VERY SERIOUS about changing the behaviors that caused me to not only become unhealthy and overweight, but the behaviors that will cause me to miss out on so much if left unchecked.  No one knows when their time is up, but we can work as hard as we want to lengthen that time in order to enjoy life to the fullest.  What if you were a butterfly instead of a caterpillar?

Weight loss update: I have been doing Weight Watchers for almost three and a half weeks and I have lost 12 pounds, NOT COUNTING this Saturdays hopeful weight loss.  I am becoming very comfortable with the lifestyle changes that have taken place in the last few weeks.  I hope to continue making progress and plan to stick to it no matter what.  When I fail, it will only be temporary because I refuse to stay down!

I will become debt free!  I will become healthy and fit!  I will work in my strengths and passions!  I will run a marathon! I will give lots of money away! I will make a difference!  I WILL!

Remember:  What you believe is what you achieve!  Change your thinking!