AWARENESS Allows for Transformation

We Live Within Paradigms

You and I live inside of unspoken, yet forcefully-binding agreements about how it is going to go for us and for others in the world. For example, though you and I don't say it out loud every day, you and I have settled for an agreement that it is acceptable that you and I will eat tonight while in our shared world, perhaps even in our own community, someone else will go without a proper meal or perhaps die from hunger.

Likewise, you and I have settled for an agreement that it is acceptable that you and I will have housing while in our shared world, perhaps even in our own community, someone else will live homeless. Likewise, that we will not be abused while someone else will suffer abuse. Likewise, that we will have health care while someone else will not have access to health care and so suffer disease.

Similarly, you and I have settled for an agreement that it is acceptable that you and I and others—in our community, our nation, and our world—have the right to the best life we can accomplish for ourselves except for when someone else has enough resources and enough power to compromise the quality of our wellness, lifestyle, and resources and even when getting away with compromises that can be at the grave detriment and harm to others. Moreover, you and I have settled for an agreement that it is acceptable that you and I and others have the right to the best life we can accomplish for ourselves only to the degree that if I get there first and sometimes if I have more resources than you to enable me to outbid you, then I get what I want—and as much of it as I want—before you do; and I deserve to keep and protect what I have even if and keeping it all to myself it is to the detriment and harm of others.

These are just a few of the many unspoken and forcefully-binding agreements about how it is going to go for us and for others in the world within which we live our lives. At VFT, we assert that these unspoken and forcefully-binding agreements about how it is going to go for us and for others in the world within which we live our lives are "paradigms." Another way of understanding what a paradigm is to say that a paradigm is a generally-accepted perspective—a set of assumptions and expectations that can provide for accomplishment within an agreed upon range of conformity—about a particular topic of focus.

Thus, we live within paradigms of: As much food as I can get for myself understandably happens in a world where someone is dying of hunger. As comfortable a lifestyle as I can accomplish for myself understandably happens in a world where someone else is homeless. As healthy, fit, and well as I can accomplish for myself understandably happens in a world where someone else goes without health care and may die of disease. Others with more resources and power than me can accomplish their goals at my expense and even when it's to my detriment and harm. If I have the opportunity and the means to accomplish my goals before you have a chance to accomplish your goals, then it may be at your expense and even to your detriment and harm.

Paradigms That Leave People Disadvantaged, Disenfranchised, Disempowered, or Diseased Are "Broken Paradigms"

At VFT, we assert that paradigms that leave people disadvantaged, disenfranchised, displaced, disabled, disempowered, or diseased are "broken paradigms." Broken paradigms occur as business-as-usual, good-enough, status quo, common sense, and the-best-we-could-do.

We Keep Attempting to Eliminate What's Unwanted From Within Broken Paradigms

Because, as a society, we have not known any better, we keep attempting to eliminate what's unwanted from within broken paradigms. VFT asserts: Now, we know better. The time has come to perform transformatively. We can complete conversations requiring completion to achieve clear and open listening and canvases for creation and invention. We can advance ventures to invent new contexts and paradigms that are shifts for being and living as society, nation, community and family such that each person on Earth lives authentic, enlivened, empowered, and Self-determined.