We all evolve. Change is an absolute. Life is about mental, physical and spiritual growth. The more introspection, the faster there is growth. Sometimes we need to accelerate our growth and this may require reinvention.
Reinvention usually comes from immediate need. You may have the need to overcome great hardship, to prove yourself to yourself or others, or you may need to live a better life. Marriage, divorce, separation, addiction, cancer, near death, new job, failing business, and bankruptcy can all facilitate swift change in one's mindset.
"We all evolve. Change is an absolute. Life is about mental, physical and spiritual growth."
Multiple times in a lifetime, most humans need reinvention. The transition from infancy to early childhood is a great time to showcase your character. Reinvention. The only child that suddenly has a baby brother and needs more attention comes to mind. Reinvention. Teenagers are desperately seeking change to find their adult identity. Reinvention. Turning 30 will get most of us to start taking life more seriously. Reinvention. Millions seek change when they turn 40 or 50. This mid-life crisis can be the embryo of a new red corvette, sleek yacht, complete makeover or even a new significant other. Reinvention. Approaching the backside of life can be scary. Hustling to check off your bucket list can be disturbing for your long-time loved ones. However, sometimes we just need to reinvent ourselves.
Miley Cyrus needed change. Her Hannah Montana character with Disney was a huge hit. It was an American television series that originally aired on the Disney Channel from March 24, 2006 until January 16, 2011. It aired 98 episodes across four seasons and launched the young actress into the minds of millions of fans.
As Miley matured, the persona of Hannah Montana and the responsibility to millions of fans and their parents became overwhelming. Miley was not Hannah. Miley needed swift change to showcase her adulthood, her sexuality and her new way of thinking and acting. So she shocked the public with her VMA Award Show performance that blasted through social media as her Hannah Montana persona was publically eliminated forever. Her sexually charged dance moves swept her directly into the adult marketplace, catapulted her on to magazines covers, Saturday Night Live television, the Jimmy Fallon Show, and launched a #1 selling album. Reinvention came overnight like a FedEx package.
The list of reinvention in the entertainment industry is a long one. Hip Hop artist Snoop Dogg legally changed his name to Snoop Lion and reinvented himself as a Bob Marley clone with his latest reggae-sounding album appropriately titled, Reincarnated .
Even though Ben Affleck won a best original screenplay Oscar with pal Matt Damon for Good Will Hunting , he wasn't always taken seriously in showbiz thanks to his personal life and some dubious film choices. However, the now husband and father began taking on respected projects such as The Town and Argo , which earned Affleck his second Oscar.
Mark Wahlberg had many legal troubles as a teen growing up in Boston. He became Marky Mark with the Funky Bunch in 1991 releasing his hit album, Good Vibrations . He reinvented from a troubled past and Marky Mark of the Funky Bunch into a serious actor, appearing in films such as Boogie Nights and The Fighter . Now with the blockbuster-hit movie Ted , he has showcased his comedic side with one of his best starring roles. He's even the executive producer of Entourage and How to Make It in America .
Former Mouseketeer Justin Timberlake went from one-fifth of the boy band *N Sync to a solo force of nature with success in music, business ventures and acting.
Arnold Schwarzenegger went from being a professional bodybuilder and starring in movies such as The Terminator and Predator to serving two terms as the governor of California. Reinvention is at the top of his list now after a failed marriage, fathering a child with his housekeeper, and no longer being a physical force of nature.
Reinvention is a way to take charge of your life. If you are going down a pathway that is wrong for you, make a change. Here are 10 ways to reinvent yourself.
1. See the new you. Envision the new you. See in your mind how you want your friends, family and work associates as they react to the new you.
2. Sell you on the New YOU. Change your inner dialogue. Talk to yourself in the most positive manner. Never put yourself down. Always encourage. Write a brief 60-second commercial on the awesomeness of you. Open this monologue with a power statement and be sure and showcase all of your strengths. Now in private, deliver this speech to the universe with passion and confidence. Repetition will facilitate a quicker change. The greatest sales job is selling you on you.
3. Be patient. Do not be in a rush to make drastic change. And even if you do, be patient in the desired results. Positive change in how others respond may take more time than you think.
4. Change your Seeables. Spruce up your closets, bathroom, bedroom, garage, car and personal wardrobe. Everything that you see and other people see on a daily basis needs an upgrade.
5. Deal from strength. Every champion that I have coached to a world title built their success on what they do best. Leading with your strengths will give you the confidence to facilitate swift change. Find your niche strengths. Assess what you do well and compare this to your competition. What comes naturally? What is easy for you? These are your special gifts that you've inherited or honed. Now develop them further. Understand what people compliment the most about you. These may be a strength you haven't realized.
6. Find your purpose. This may take more time than you like. If you will relax and just ask this question, "What is my purpose in life?" for 7-10 days every night before you go to sleep, the answer will appear. Trust me.
7. Take down the rearview mirror. The best in the world only go into the past for analysis, evaluation and swift learning. And with a solid plan of where they want to go, they stay focused in the moment. Keep your eye on the horizon.
8. Upgrade your hellos and goodbyes. Within 90 seconds of your hello and goodbye, the recipient will swiftly have a thought of positive, negative or indifference about you. If your response to a simple "How Are You?" is "OK, I've been better" or even worse, then an "I am awesome" response will definitely get a reaction. Use this greeting for a week, and you'll be on your way to a positive reinvention.
"Reinvention is a way to take charge of your life."
9. Immunize from your detractors. Not everyone will like your mental and/or physical makeover. Your friends and family will definitely let you have it by accusing you of jumping off the deep end. Before reinvention, you might want to grow some thick skin, especially when your spouse, mom, or mother-in-law raises their eyebrows about your new hairstyle or clothing.
10. Build your inner circle. Your inner circle contains the people that you communicate with on a daily or weekly basis. Make sure they understand that the change in you is permanent. This is not a flash in the pan or flavor of the month action. Get them on board for your new adventure. This fan club will catapult you further than going it alone.
Learn the S.C.O.R.E.® Success System and apply the necessary tools to facilitate positive change. Now you'll be on your way to a new you.
Enjoy your new journey. Good fortune favors the bold.
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