Looking for others to “fix” us is a popular trend in our society. Marketers are taught to first identify a consumer’s problem, tell us all about how vexing the problem is, and then tell us how the product they are selling will solve it! It’s a very well used formula. Try to notice this formula the next time you see, read, or listen to advertisements.

As a society we tend to place a huge emphasis on problems and on problem-solving. The biggest lie that we are fed is that someone else always holds the key to “fixing us.”

But here is a thought: What if you are the expert on you? What if you hold the key to your own growth embedded right within you? What if everyone you know is also an expert on themselves?

Would this be a paradigm shift for you? (A paradigm shift is a huge change in approach, and all the assumptions underneath that approach.)

Each human being holds a wealth of knowledge, ability, resilience, and strength. It’s similar to that tiny seed, or that acorn that will eventually become a giant oak tree!

Sometimes life is really tough. We can get discouraged and overwhelmed. We might even feel despair. When we are lost we can lose sight of who we are, what we believe, and the direction we have for our lives, but that doesn’t mean that all those things aren’t still within us waiting to be discovered.

The Paradigm Shift

• The non-negotiable belief that each person has an inner expert within
• This is absolutely essential as you move into your role as a peer support worker
• This paradigm shift upholds self-determination at the core of effective peer support work.