A Health Paradigm Shift, Part 1:
The Map

For many people, making a health paradigm shift is the first step in the journey to natural health and wellness.

Perhaps you’ve already had a paradigm change with regard to your health beliefs. In that case, you’re on your way. If you haven't, or you'd like to help others you love change their way of looking at health, this mini-course on paradigm shifts is for you.

Stephen Covey, in his excellent book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, illustrates the importance of having the right paradigm. We can apply this principle to many areas of our lives.

What is a paradigm?

Covey explains it like this:

"For our purposes, a simple way to understand paradigms is to see them as maps. We all know that 'the map is not the territory.' A map is simply an explanation of certain aspects of the territory. That's exactly what a paradigm is. It is a theory, an explanation, or model of something else."

He goes on to explain the importance of having the right paradigm, the right map, if we are to reach the right destination. Let’s think in terms of our health paradigms as we explore this further.

"Suppose you wanted to arrive at a specific location in central Chicago. A street map of the city would be a great help to you in reaching your destination. But suppose you were given the wrong map. Through a printing error, the map labeled 'Chicago' was actually a map of Detroit. Can you imagine the frustration, the ineffectiveness of trying to reach your destination?

"You might work on your behavior -- you could try harder, be more diligent, double your speed. But your efforts would only succeed in getting you to the wrong place faster.

"You might work on your attitude -- you could think more positively. You still wouldn't get to the right place, but perhaps you wouldn't care. Your attitude would be so positive, you'd be happy wherever you were.

"The point is, you'd still be lost. The fundamental problem has nothing to do with your behavior or your attitude. It has everything to do with having a wrong map.

"If you have the right map of Chicago, then diligence becomes important, and when you encounter frustrating obstacles along the way, then attitude can make a real difference. But the first and most important requirement is the accuracy of the map."

(from Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People)

We need to be sure we’re using an accurate paradigm when exploring how to get to our desired goal of sustainable natural health. If we are using a flawed health paradigm, then we need to have a health paradigm shift.

It won’t matter if we have money and time. We could even have a PhD, but if the map is wrong we’ll just arrive at the wrong destination -- maybe arrive sooner, but at the wrong destination nonetheless.

In order to take responsibility for our health, we have to search for and find the right maps, the right health paradigms -- ways of looking at and thinking about health that, first of all, are not based on the incorrect assumption that everything we’ve been told about health and sickness is true or in our best interests. We may need a major health paradigm shift.

Asking questions that lead us to discover real answers: this is our challenge today. Click below to go to Part 2.

Paradigm Shift, Part 2: The Change!
Making the right paradigm shift regarding health is the first step in the journey to natural health and wellness. You'll discover the power of a paradigm shift and why it's important to your health.

Paradigm Shift, Part 3: The Power to Change!
A health paradigm shift is the way to make significant change in your health. Here's an example!

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