Paradigm Shift

"WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS
HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE
NOT HUMAN BEINGS
HAVING A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE"

Be - Do - Have versus
Have - Do - Be

Today, we live in an age of many paradigm shifts. Think of a Paradigm Shift as a change from one way of thinking to another. In 1962, Thomas Kuhn wrote "The Structure of Scientific Revolution." For the first time in all of human history we can realize that we are spiritual beings from the start.

In the dark ages and before, people were mostly uneducated and only aware of their physical surroundings. During the last 400+ years, we became slowly aware of our true nature as spiritual beings.
During the age of the renaissance, a period between the 14th - 16th century, people were awakened to their free will. It began as a movement to recapture the spirit of ancient Greece, but it soon developed into a movement transforming all aspects of society, including culture, political structure, the economy, and even religion.
During the age of enlightenment, people were awakened to their intellect. They believed that human reason could be used to combat ignorance, superstition, and tyranny and to build a better world
During the 19th and 20th century, science in form of psychology, started to focus on the human emotions. Psychology is both an applied and academic field that studies the human mind and behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior.
In the New Age, we have one more step to go, to discover the realm of heart. The heart (shim jung in Korean) is the center of our being. It can only be discovered by awareness. That means we cannot identify ourself with our thoughts or our emotions but rather become the observer of them. Heart is directed by intuition, inner alignment and intention, vision, creating synergy and being in the Flow. Heart is our connection to God and all of creation.
Obviously, will, intellect and emotion are parts of our mind which is invisible and therefore, deals with intangibles.
In this abstract world, we want to focus on values first. When we identify with qualities like love, truth, peace, honesty, integrity, etc., become those values by integrating them into our character and act upon them in our everyday life, we will have a happy and satisfying life.

Unfortunately, in our society we have it all backwards. We want to have first, than do and finally think that we can be happy. Do we have a happy and peaceful society?
Let's focus on the values first. Children learn from our example. Here is a poem I like a lot:

Children Learn What They Liveby Dorothy Law NolteIf a child lives with criticism. He learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility. He learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule. He learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame. He learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance. He learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement. He learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise. He learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness. He learns justice.
If a child lives with security. He learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval. He learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship. He learns to find love in the world.

Living with the end in mind (Stephen Covey, in his book: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, has a whole chapter on this subject), focusing on who we want to be or even better who we were meant to be according to God's blueprint, allows us to follow a plan for life. According to the Law of Attraction we have the ability to create a life we desire. During the journey and acting on our abilities and talents, we can have the life we want. The doing becomes easier by finding and following people who have achieved what we want.

Living the BE - DO - HAVE paradigm takes practice. It may seem backwards at first, for we are programmed to believe that our primary source of happiness, joy or contentment lies outside us.
By looking inward we can discover our true needs which are acceptance, appreciation and approval. These needs will be fulfilled in relationships with God first, and through parents, family, friends and others.