January 18, 2012-Volume 56: The Mother of Reinvention

The Adventures of the Blind/Low Vision/Visually Impaired (BLOVI) Girl- Volume 56: The Mother of Reinvention

This year we decided to focus our third annual women’s event on reinventing yourself and transformation. In preparation for the event and what I am going to say, I have begun thinking about how reinvention has been a major part of my life.  The ability to reinvent myself in the face of change is what has made me strong, focused and confident.

I am not unique in that way.  We all have reinvented ourselves; maybe without knowing it or defining it as such. Every time a major life change happens; career change, marriage, divorce, relocation, illness, etc., there is an opportunity for reinvention.   I say an opportunity because reinventing yourself is a choice.  It is the choice I have always made, but I could have just as easily gotten depressed, stuck, and resentful or given up. I have those feelings, but something always compels me to move forward and to try and clear out the negative thoughts and energy.

The work of reinvention happens on the inside. It involves having a clear vision about our purpose and what we want in life, convincing ourselves that we can walk down the path toward our vision and having the ability to have faith and take some risks to walk down that path even if we have not worked out all the details. I think the two key concepts, for me, are faith and risk taking. I am grounded in the belief that I can change the world and I have a purpose and I am willing to move forward even when I have no clue what the path looks like. I step out on the limb and hope to hell it does not break. But, if it does, I try and have a safety net to catch ne.

Eventually, with a vision and purpose in mind, the belief we can move toward that vision and our willingness to let go of the past and actually change, we can begin to take action and translate those changed on the inside into changes in our behavior and how we live.  The key here is a willingness to let go of the past. Letting go of the past not only means forgiving and forgetting, but realizing that there are only a few things you can control in life and the rest is a thrill ride. It also means letting go of old beliefs, habits and messages that we have ingrained in our beings from childhood. And that takes work.

Every change brings opportunity, hence the phrase when one door closes, another one opens. What they don’t tell you is that sometimes you have to really look for the doors and many times you have to kick the doors open. This means you must be aware, present and confident. 

As a coach, I work with people to help then transition through life’s changes so that they see them as new opportunities. Through support and accountable I help people create a vision and propose and walk sown the oath toward it. Reinvention is not always easy and you may need help, but it is possible.  The alternative is continuing to repeat old patterns and feeling stuck, hopeless, and unmotivated.  Choosing to reinvent yourself is choosing to continue to grow and change. 

As a person I embrace reinvention and am currently in the process of another transformation after another life change. How I am transforming myself now and how I have in the past and what that life change was is probably going to be the focus of my talk at the event.  As usual I have no clue what will come out of my mouth. But isn’t that what makes life interesting.

Keep Moving Forward,

Beth (BLOVI) Medlock