The 4-1-1 on Reinventing You

There is a lot of chatter today about reinventing yourself, especially after 50. There’s no “magical” age when you find yourself in a difficult situation, whether it be a divorce, death of a loved one, or a job loss, and have to make some tough decisions. It is these times that you need to re-evaluate your life and determine the best path for you. You can’t listen to others advice on what you “should” do with your life. It’s your life, do with it what you want. When it is all said and done, what do you want to be said at your funeral? Do you want people to talk about your life contributions or the fact that you listened to everyone else and did things that you didn’t even enjoy? Do you want them to talk about how happy you lived, or how sad you always seemed to be?

Making real, deep, lasting change in your life is hard work. It requires diligence, commitment, a willingness to take risks and the nerve to summon the reserves of inner strength you don’t know you have. Deciding to take on a new career can be hard. There is something new to learn; new people to meet; perhaps courses to take; all while trying to figure out how you will continue to pay your monthly bills. Don’t get discouraged. I want you to know that I’ve reinvented myself several times and, although hard, has been the most rewarding part of my journey so far.