The Power of Paradigms

A paradigm is an underlying view or perspective that serves as the context through which we view situations in our lives. It is the lens through which we judge everything we read, observe, hear, or even taste, touch, smell. Paradigms evolve and shift over time, such that we rarely are aware of their origins until they fail us, and we are thereby compelled to unpack, deconstruct, and rebuild them in therapy, or through spiritual or creative practices. Those floating through life like a feather in the wind rarely become aware of the paradigms instilled or imposed upon them, and thereby are vulnerable to undue influence. As we have seen of late, such people can even be summoned to violence and destruction, unrooting the Divine principles upon which we have secured our civilizations. This has left many of us feeling untethered and in despair, grieving the nobility of our once grounded existence. Yet, all is not lost to the fringes of non-reflective minions attempting to take over our society and political landscape. For, we are a species capable of higher consciousness, mindfulness, and a long-held volition for solidarity and justice in the midst of evil. We will prevail with persistence, and have shown this to be true time and time again. Paradigms have power, but they can be shifted. As a therapist, I have seen even the most hateful and misguided restore their souls and repent in the knowledge of how they were led astray. I call them sweet souls beneath the scars of indignity, drawing false conclusions from their suffering and drowning in self-loathing, fear, and or agony. With patience and guidance, even those drenched in wickedness can shift the paradigms that corrupt them, finding wholeness and compassion through transformative reminiscence.