Lesson 9#

First of all, allow me to define paradigm. It is various patterns or models that one lives by, or a set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline. So paradigm shifters are people who dare to make a change, a good change i hope. And paradigm-ers or so i call it, are people who doesn't want to change their paradigm, or mindset.

One day, there was this little child, his mum bought him a balloon, a beautiful one with helium pumped in it. The child was excited, playing with it, pulling it up and down, wow, he had so much fun! But his buttery fingers suddenly gave way. Oh No! the balloon flew higher and higher. The boy starting to express his grumpiness and finally tears starting flowing, drop by drop from his innocent eyes, streaming down his cheeks. The mum quickly took him aside, and said ' hey you! hurry up and say goodbye! the balloon's mum is calling it to go back for dinner! hurry hurry!" the boy, then realizing the balloon was going higher and higher, quickly stretch out his hand and waved goodbye to the balloon. He went back happy, without that guilty and discourage heart.

Who was the paradigm-er and the paradigm shifter? Many times we are like the boy, always one minded, this is this, the balloon is no more, its our fault, then cry. We do not see another way around it, or maybe we never placed any effort to do so. Unlike the little boy's mum, quickly, without hesitation, being paradigm shifter, change the son's paradigm to help him see it in another way, much more pleasing manner.

*WHAT?!* you might be thinking, as how can balloons have a parent. Or why did the mother tell a factual error. But forget those thoughts, its not about the balloon, but its about who we are. So who are you? a paradigm-er or a paradigm shifter? Again you might ask, What's the importance of knowing?

Well, in life, a very true fact is that we tent to focus ourselves onto one direction, one path. Have we ever asked ourselves, is there any better way to go about doing this or that? Especially in school, many clubs, in fact maybe, like to use the word "tradition". Doing the exact same things year after year after year. But its not just doing the exact same things, its the ideas and the way to do it, which is also the same! Not to say that it is wrong or it will surely fail one day, but ask yourself now, Is there a BETTER way to go about doing this? whatever ideas we think of, can never be the best, but it can be worse or better than the original, so that means, in whatever we do, there is always another way about it. Once we understand the importance of moving forward with excellence, we know that we cannot stay in the same mindset, we must continue to push forward. If we do not be a paradigm shifter soon, everything will soon become boring, because its merely a repetition. Now that's what a paradigm shifter is.

Are you one?

one and only,
wai leem