Reinvention Is A Myth: The ART Of Revealing Your Best Self
The other day I overheard someone say, “I am reinventing myself in 2022!”
The way he said it made me laugh. It was as if there is a giant switch you can flip and instantly become someone else.
It made me think of something my dad used to say.
“Wherever you go, there you are.”
How true it is. No matter what you do, you are right there with you.
Is it really possible to reinvent yourself?
I understand the sentiment. It’s about making different choices and changing the way things are. A lot of people talk about reinvention, re-dos, and makeovers. A better job, a fresh style, different friends, and second chances.
I want to challenge your thinking around the idea of reinvention. I actually believe that reinvention is a myth. I think a lot of people hide behind the mask of reinvention. When things don’t go their way, they try something else. And when that doesn’t work out, they move to the next thing on their list.
To each their own. That’s none of my business.
But, that is not reinvention. That’s quitting. It’s giving up when things get hard or uncomfortable.
Instead of reinvention, I’d ask you to consider another word.
Revelation.
You see, reinvention is what most people have been doing their whole life. They play the roles they’ve been given at work and at home. Roles that are oftentimes rooted in the expectations of others. Being the version of themselves that everyone else wants them to be. Pretending to be something they were never intended to be.
True reinvention is really about revelation. It’s about revealing to the world everything you were designed to be in the first place. To step out of the shadows and embrace the you that the rest of the world desperately needs.
I love what Lao Tzu said.
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."
Let’s sit with that for just a minute.
“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."
This is a powerful concept and the essence of what it means to reveal your true self and the gifts within you.
One definition of revelation says it is a pleasant, often enlightening surprise.
That sounds amazing. Think of it this way.
Reinvention is about dreaming. Revelation is about discovery.
I can say that I want to reinvent myself as a singer. But if I can’t sing, it’s just a dream. On the other hand, if I discover that I can sing and reveal that gift to the world it might change everything.
Reinvention is about pretending. Revelation is about potential.
Instead of pretending to be something I’m not, I can go to work on everything that I am capable of becoming.
Let me give you an example.
When I left a successful corporate career to become a professional speaker and author, some would say that I reinvented myself. The truth is, I had “reinvented” myself dozens of times in my career. Taking on new roles, projects, and approaches to my work.
But this was different. This was a revelation. I simply discovered and revealed that which was within me. The ability to speak and write emerged inside of my career as a marketing executive. My career soared as a result. And, with the help of mentors and coaches, I began to develop those gifts and step into the potential that was not only pleasant and enlightening but life-changing.
What I have learned is that there is an ART to revealing your best self to the world. I believe everything you’ve done to this point has been preparing you to create your next masterpiece.
Here are three things you can do to master the ART of revelation.
Aspire to become the next level of you. Greatness is only discovered when it is pursued. Those who contribute their gifts to the world start with a desire to become everything they were created to be. To uncover their talents and discover their potential in order to pour it onto the canvas of their life. They know their legacy begins with a giant vision of what’s possible and they get up every day and chase it.
Risk becoming more of who you were designed to be. If I had never stepped foot on stage or put one word on a page, I never would have discovered my purpose. Revealing your talents, gifts, and abilities requires a willingness to take a risk. To step out and be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Believing you will win but prepared to get back up if you fail. To do the hard work of developing yourself in order to bring forth the truth that resides in you. We learn by doing. We grow by failing. And we win by never quitting. Remember, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. All that matters is what you believe.
Trust your gifts. It’s easy sometimes to become discouraged when you are stepping out in a new direction. It is important to trust your gifts. You would not have been given those gifts without the ability to develop and master them. Take small steps right where you are. Listen, I used the gifts of speaking and writing to take my corporate career to heights I never imagined, long before I ever become a motivational speaker. Your gifts can serve you in every area of your life. As you develop and nurture them, they will continue to reveal themselves to you and the next steps will appear and the right doors will open. Your job is to be a good steward of the gifting, take the next step, and trust that they will take you exactly where you are supposed to go.
I want to encourage you to step into your gifts and reveal the best version of you to the rest of the world. I hope you will paint with broad brushstrokes of pure potential on the canvas of your life and reveal the masterpiece in you to a world that is waiting.
What to read more from Kevin? His latest book, Unleashing Your Hero, is available for purchase online at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million.
Kevin D. Brown is a branding and culture expert. He’s an award-winning motivational speaker, bestselling author, and the creator of The Hero Effect®. Follow him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.