Time To Reinvent Yourself
by Marc Middleton

Posted October 8, 2007, 11:21 pm in Living
Credit Growing Bolder

I'll admit it. I'm more than just a little jealous of those who knew from a very early age what their "true purpose" in life was and have been happily pursuing it ever since. You know, the kind of passion that propels you from the bed each and every morning. The kind of activity you never retire from because it's not really a job- it's a calling.

For most of us it's not been that easy. We followed an education and career path based upon the dreams of our parents or the results of an 8th grade aptitude test or the suggestions of a high school guidance counselor who was really an assistant football coach that needed something to do before practice.

The good news is that it's never too late to reinvent yourself. More than a boomer buzzword, reinvention is an attitude that sets the stage for productive, inspiring and enriching decades ahead. To borrow a famous beer slogan, "You only go around once in life, so you have to grab for all the gusto you can get! " Obviously, the slogan didn't sell enough Schlitz because you can barely find the stuff anymore, but it did resonate with millions of Americans who realized our days are numbered. And optimistically, that number is 32,850. That's how many days you have if you live to the ripe old age of 90.

Time is the most valuable commodity we have and like any commodity, the less there is - the more valuable it becomes. As you begin the second half of your life why not add a voyage of self-discovery to that cruise to the Bahamas? What is life for if not discovering you - for tapping into your true purpose? Of course, finding that purpose can be a challenge. And let's be honest, you may never find it. But searching for it is it's own reward.

Reinventing yourself is not about getting new hair plugs or buying a more edgy wardrobe. It's not about changing who you are. It's about learning who you are. It's not about being irresponsible. It's about being responsible to the gifts you've been given. Gifts that for decades have been buried beneath the stress and responsibility of raising a family and making ends meet. Gifts that we fail to fully unwrap because we're too busy or too afraid. What if I can't paint? What if I can't write? What if I can't help others? Get over it. Reinventing yourself is not about succeeding. It's about trying.

Reinventing yourself isn't a difficult task. Especially if you live in The Villages. It's simply getting off the couch and getting engaged in life. Take a class, join a club, open yourself to new possibilities. Author George Eliot puts it this way, "It's never too late to be what you might have been." It's not about being selfish. Many times the path to discovering you is discovering others. Mentor teenagers, help the elderly, volunteer to help the less fortunate.

Statistics indicate that over 80% of us are unhappy with our job, career, or family life. That's a tragic failure because human beings are wired for success and pleasure. Perhaps this happiness disconnect is because we've spent decades making "safe" career decisions and socially acceptable personal decisions. And once we put ourselves on these paths and began to walk down them, we found change too risky.

Now is the time to take those chances. Fear of failure is gone – or should be. So is pressure to please your parents or teachers. Now is the time to finally please yourself. If necessity is the mother of invention, opportunity is the mother of reinvention. Seize the opportunity to discover the passion that lies within. As far as we know, this is a one-way trip and it's a shame to not cherish every mile of the journey. Explore. Take side trips. Meet new people and maybe you'll eventually meet yourself.


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