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The Ultimate Paradigm Shift (and an Introduction to the "How To" Part of the Process)
By Richard Eyre

Editor's note: During the "first half" of this column, Richard outlined and defined “The Three Deceivers” of Control, Ownership, and Independence, and detailed how our obsessions with them can ruin the quality of our lives. If you missed any of the earlier columns in this series, you can go to the Deceivers Archive (see right sidebar) to catch up. Then, in the the second phase of the column, he replaced the deceivers with "The Three Alternatives" of SERENDIPITY, STEWARDSHIP, and "SYNERGICITY." (See the Alternatives Archive). Over the next few weeks, Richard will present a series of suggestions on how to make the attitudinal shift from the Three Deceivers to the Three Alternatives. Send comments to Richard@meridianmagazine.com.

Since last winter, and throughout the year, this column has explored "The Three Deceivers" of Control, Ownership, and Independence (COI) and how these three "worldly" attitudes can destroy the quality of our lives and undermine our spirituality. We have introduced, defined, and tried to establish "The Three Alternatives" of Serendipity, Stewardship, and Synergicity (SSS) and looked at the ways that a shift into these perspectives can deepen and sweeten our every day lives.

Now an announcement and a preface: This column will conclude with during the final weeks of this year and make some challenges to readers on making New Year’s resolutions for 2008 that implement the Three Alternatives. The remaining columns will essentially be "how to" installments:

How to change how we think
How to move from the three deceivers to the three alternatives
How to close the door on the attitudes of COI and open the door on the more spiritual perspectives of SSS.

I want you to be here with me each Friday between now and year's end as we move away from the theory and directly into the practical implementation that will actually allow you to make these paradigm shifts in your own life. Here is a little Table of Contents and a preview of the remaining columns:

Nov. 16 — A Thanksgiving Poem (because the "attitude of gratitude" is really the key to all Three Alternatives)

Nov. 23 — Being In the World but not of the World (why our attitudes and our thoughts are the real part of life)

Nov. 30 — Daily Mental/Emotional/Spiritual Exercises designed to help us focus on the Serendipities, Stewardships and Synergicities of life

Dec. 7 — "The Serendipity Line" (a one-week exercise in looking for and recognizing daily Serendipities)

Dec. 14 — "The Stewardship Blanks" (a one-week exercise for loving and serving our Stewardships)

Dec. 21 — "The Synergicity Bands" (a one-week exercise for drawing down Synergicity, and for making Christmas a Spiritual Experience)

Dec. 28 — The ultimate method, which is a gift rather than an achievement — and a specific challenge to readers for making a unique and life changing New Year's resolution

As the year ends, and as we conclude this column, let me express how much the writing has made a difference in my own life. We live in a COI world where everything around us, from media to our own daily conversations is oriented to the pursuit of control, ownership, and independence, and they all pull us more "into the world." What I love about the alternative attitudes of Serendipity, Stewardship and Synergicity is that they each:

Emphasize and draw our attention to the spiritual.
Deepen our humility by giving us the perspective of our very small place in God's very big plan.
Develop within us an upward spiritual spiral of faith, hope, and charity.
Rely as more or more on "watch and pray" as they do on "work and plan."

The two principal rewards of making this ultimate paradigm shift (from COI to SSS) are

The lowering of stress, pressure and tension (because we depend less on our selves and more on God, and in "casting our burdens on Him" we remove them from ourselves), and
A closer, deeper relationship with Heavenly Father and with Christ (because each of the three alternative attitudes draw us closer to Them, bit by bit, day by day).

I am keeping today's column short so that I can challenge you to do something in preparation for the concluding "how-to" columns to come: Take a few minutes, right now, to click to the Deceivers archive and the Alternatives archive (in the right hand column). Scan down the titles and descriptions of the 40 previous columns, and see if most of the thoughts are now familiar to you. When you come to one that is not, click on it and read it. Having clarity on these earlier descriptions of what the Three Alternatives are will prepare you for the upcoming columns on how to put more of them into our daily lives.