Rediscovery vs. Reinventing
Not So Sure It Has To Be One Or The Other
September 2013 Insights
As women we often find ourselves in states of transition. We experience frequent times in our lives when we question our current state of being. We find ourselves asking, are we happy? What is my purpose? Where is my life taking me? Who am I? and Where do I go from here?
Let’s face it, from the moment we hit puberty women become well acquainted with the challenge of making life transitions. From adolescence through late adulthood we find ourselves frequently at times in our lives when we feel a change of self or direction is required and needed.
As a women’s self-development life coach I’m often asked how can I rediscover or reinvent myself? The two are rather different yet both instrumentally necessary to consider when faced with the inevitable choices and decisions we all experience during these moments in our lives.
Let’s consider the first concept, rediscovery. Sometimes in our lives we become lost and so removed from the person we once were that we start to question the need to rediscover ourselves. Learning more about our true selves and finding out what makes us tick is required. By determining our core values and evaluating what is really important to us we rediscover who we truly are. It is likely to involve looking at the past and all the important lessons it has taught us while considering the vital aspects about what made you happy, that you may have forgotten.
Whereas reinventing oneself is more about forward thinking, change, new ideas and doing something different. It requires the mindset of embracing experimentation. It’s main objective is about getting different results that lead to greater success and fulfillment in one’s life.
So as you can see it’s not about one process being more effective then the other but more about having the best of both these worlds. As I prefer to use the term “redefine oneself”, where we consider the delicate balance between rediscovery and reinvention simultaneously.
I find the term “redefining oneself” more empowering because it doesn’t limit us to only looking at the past nor ignoring it to move ahead. Instead redefining suggests an on-going process, one that can always be enhanced based on where we were, are and want to be.
Rediscovery vs. Reinventing Oneself
It’s really not one or the other but a combination of the both.