If you want small changes in your life, work on your attitude.

If you want big and primary changes, work on your paradigm.”

–Stephen Covey

Sometimes I think that we sell ourselves short. Sure, we do ourselves a great service when we work on our attitude, but we’re missing the mark. Why? Because if you change your paradigm, you do a lot more than just change your attitude. You change your outlook on life, therefore bringing more joy into your world.

I have found through experience that, when I truly put the work in to change a deeply ingrained thinking pattern, it is sometimes a challenge that seems insurmountable. Breaking a cycle of what you will accept in your life, for example, can feel like hell. When you love someone, whether it be a significant other, a friend, or a family member, it is incredibly hard to establish new boundaries and let them know what you are and are not willing to accept in your relationship with them. This is hard enough to do after making an inner change when meeting someone new, but even harder to do with those who have known you before you decided to make some positive changes for yourself.

One of the greatest habits I have taught myself is to develop a positive inner dialogue. When I have truly changed my paradigm on something, I may have to remind myself HUNDREDS of times, “NO! I am not willing to accept this anymore,” or, “Hey, remember you are practicing letting go.”  Whatever it may be, train yourself to stay focused on your paradigms so when life throws a challenge at you, you can gently remind yourself of where you want to be in your life. You will surely have setbacks, but I have found that changing my paradigms gives me the strength to get through them, knowing that I am doing the right thing. Through each setback, I make a little progress for the next time I face a challenge.

Challenge yourself to change your thinking!