Something has changed. The paradigm has shifted. Yes, paradigm. We're going to be using, and you will be hearing that word quite a lot over the coming years, so let's define it. According to the dictionary: A paradigm is “a set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them..”

We are at a critical point in history where our assumptions, concepts, values and practices as it relates to success have, are, and more importantly must change in order for us to survive. What has changed is this: In this new paradigm, survival=success.

It doesn't mean we've downgraded success to be simply about survival-what people think of as “just getting by.” Quite the contrary. It means we've upgraded the definition of “success” so people will realize they've been working with a limited definition all their lives. What's been missing is a global component to the definition of success.

We're also expanding the definition of “survival” to mean not just “getting by” but the actual and real continuation of existence. We are at a point where the very existence of the planet and its ability to sustain life is now more visibly threatened.

The new paradigm holds, therefore, that there is and can be no success without survival. Every form of life-including the planet-has inherent within it the desire, the programming, the instinct and the coding for survival. And it is this basic, universal thrust towards survival--global survival--that must be the all-encompassing, underlying premise of all our efforts to succeed.

Therefore, what's needed is a strategy for survival, not just individual survival, but survival of the planet as we pursue our purpose in life, honor our passions, and strive for personal wealth, money, freedom from worry, independence and security. Our goal, as we apply the new strategy, is sustainability of the planet, because survival of the planet = our survival = our success.

Admittedly, many people feel overwhelmed in the face of such a broad and sweeping goal as the survival of the planet. They believe that such lofty ideals and strategies are for the scientists and experts who will tell governments and big business what to do in order to reverse the ecological trends. They feel powerless to effect real change on the planet, and so, resign themselves to looking out for their own interests--their personal survival--first and foremost.

You need to learn what you can and must do in order to be the change we all seek, weather any storm, and survive in the new paradigm. It is through the application of the strategies contained herein, that you can weather the storm, be successful, financially independent, free from worry and secure.

All the success principles you've encountered in life will remain the same. The laws of prosperity and success haven't changed. There is still the law of cause and effect, the law of attraction, all the knowledge of how to win friends and influence people, and all the other immutable laws of reality we're come to know, love and practice. However, it is the goal toward which these laws are applied that is decidedly different.

In this new paradigm, you will not need to succeed at the expense of others. You need not exploit the poor and working class in order to get ahead. You need not shelve your ethics in order to advance.

Not everyone is motivated by money. Many are content simply to make a difference for the community as a whole. There exists a paradigm of success, therefore, that adepts, tree huggers, spiritualists and (even) capitalists alike can agree upon. Why? Because everyone shares the basic desire for and thrust toward survival, so we will be appealing-hopefully-to the basic common denominator that unites us all.

Why should I?

As you read through the phases of this strategy, you may be tempted to think, “People have become successful without believing, knowing or practicing these things. Why do I need to change my beliefs and operating basis now?”

Remember this very important consideration: We are not saying that you cannot achieve the old definition of success using the old methods. It is that so-called “success” at the expense of others and of the planet, that has brought us to where we are today. We are working, therefore, on establishing a new definition of success for this moment and beyond.

Or perhaps, realizing that you will be ahead of the curve in your thoughts and actions by following this strategy, and that it may be awhile before the rest of the world catches up to you, you may be tempted to wait and see, and, in the meantime, play by the old rules since there is still a lot of money to be made exploiting others, raping the planet, and looking out for self first. “Why should I be one of the first to go out on the new limb?” you may ask yourself.

As said, this book is not for everyone. It is for those who are already ahead of the curve in their thinking, and are seeking a strategy to support their willingness to be one of the first.

The phases

This book proceeds through the phases of a strategy that abandons mythology, dismantles the existing, respects the previously maligned, incorporates the cosmic, invokes higher consciousness, and empowers the reader to grow in his/her understanding of reality such that the goals of a new kind of success become attainable.

1. Lift the veil

We first need to come to terms with reality as it is playing itself out and admit what others aren't admitting, entertain what is being dismissed, and accept what is being denied. Among those admissions are: There is a transition in effect. Capitalism as it is practiced is under siege. There is a deception taking place. We are greater than we imagine or have been led to believe.

2. Adopt new perspectives

Before you can succeed in the new paradigm, you will be required to relinquish certain perspectives and adopt others. Many of these beliefs and perspectives are on a scale on the opposite side of your current ones. On on abstract level, for instance, where once you believed in hot, now you must believe in cold. Where once you saw only day, now you must also see night.

However, the specific beliefs and revelations that come with the new paradigm are less important than developing the mindset that allows all possibilities. In other words, it should be within the realm of your world view that other perspectives exist, that you should not feel threatened by the possibility that these alternate reality exists and, more importantly, that they can co-exist with yours.

3. Redefine success

The next most critical component of the new strategy is to redefine success. We are going to impose a specific definition of success. While it is true that success is different for everyone, that belief has been the major flaw with the old paradigm. But fear not, I'm not going to tell you that buying your mother a house is more (or less) important than helping a human rights organization.

What I AM going to tell you is that if your strategy does not include or factor in the viability of life on the planet as a critical goal, then it is a flawed plan. Success-and by extension any product or process you create to achieve that success- must include consideration for the effects on the community, other individuals' lives, and the planet as a whole.

4. Empower with new skills to help with the transition

The reason people are feeling hopeless and desperate is that they have not been adequately prepared for the changes we are now experiencing. They have been led to believe that infinite growth based on finite resources is possible. They have not incorporated true survival principles into their life's plan. They have fostered a dependence on external forces for their personal survival. As the house of cards starts to fall, they are left without any viable strategy and run from one room of the house to another in search of security. With the right strategy, you can free yourself from this panic.

5. Execute the strategy

Once we have equipped ourselves with the new mindset of a new type of success, we will need to execute the practical, logistical steps of recognizing and responding to the needs of the new paradigm, creating appropriate products and processes, pricing appropriately, and devising marketing strategies which are consistent with the new paradigm.

SUMMARY

The tragic flaw with most self-help/empowerment/wealth-building books and courses, even those that incorporate the “new” awareness of sustainability and green thinking, is that they overlook, or worse, seek to maintain the paradigm of greed, the illusion of separateness, the suppression of empowering information, and the deception of belief in external control in achieving their aims. Stay tuned.

[excerpt from Above the Pendulum: How to survive the financial crisis, create a recession-proof income, live a passion-centered lifestyle, thrive in the new paradigm...and save the planet at the same time! by Walt Goodridge.]

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