Are You Willing to Re-invent Yourself Every Day?

This is the age of rediscovery.known or visible. To expose. Not being an expert
Bookstores are filled with hundreds of books onin linguistics I would offer that Re-discover would
how to rediscover your childhood, relationships,assume that we have already done the discovery
sense of balance, your mission or purpose in lifeand we for what ever reason need to do it again.
and meaning in your career or business.I believe herein lies a part of the problem. Most
Everywhere I look I see people who are workingpeople have never really discovered themselves
harder at trying to have fun and find a sense ofthe first time so their rediscovery is a new
meaning in their jobs and in their life in general.discovery at best.
Is this an idea whose time has come or is it theI have never been crazy about dictionary
accumulation of years of searching and chasingdefinitions. I often find them either redundant or
after the empty values in life.of no value, but in this case I am stuck with what
People by the tens of thousands are leavingMr. Webster has to say on the subject. Since he
corporate America in search of freedom,is not around to question my elaboration I am
fulfillment and a sense of control over their life.free to add whatever I choose to his brief
People are leaving relationships by the millions indescription.
search of something more or better. WhateverRediscover yourself means to me, an awakening
more or better means.of your true self. Those real feelings, fears hopes,
There is increasing evidence that many of theselongings and values that have shaped your life.
people in spite of their renewed search for moreOften because of self expectations, other peoples
are still leading lives of "quiet desperation". Thisagendas for us, the rules of society, the rules of
was true when Emerson wrote it and it is still truebusiness, the needs that we create due to
today. In spite of an increasing number of choicesdecisions we make along life's path we have built
of careers, playthings, people, activities, travel andwalls around ourselves to protect us from the
interests frustration seems to still be the word ofworld "out there". What we have also done
the day.unwearyingly is to protect ourselves from the real
I have a client in the cruise business. I recentlyworld "in here". Few people really know
spent three weeks cruising the Caribbean while Ithemselves. Fewer still that do, never achieve a
was working with the crews. (I know it wasstate of authenticity or realness. Most people go
tough duty, but someone had to do it) I had allotthrough life in auto pilot.
of free time to observe a wide variety ofWe have learned our reactions and lessons well.
passengers and their behavior.We play our parts with precision. We have lost
People would push and shove to get on board thethe childlike spontaneity and curiosity that are the
ship prior leaving port and they shoved andbenchmarks for peace and happiness.
pushed just as much to get off the ship whenI know, because I to have spent years building
the cruise was over. I watched as peopleprotective walls around myself. It has only been in
everywhere brought with them on board morethe last few years that I have been willing to find
than bathing suits and healthy appetites. I watchedthe courage to be. I must admit that I have a
as they brought their relationship frustrations andlong way to go, but at least I have begun.
agendas, their fears and prejudices, their angerThere are risks in being real. There are times
and their hopes, their un-met needs and theirwhen rejection cannot be avoided. There are
attitudes about everything both positive andtimes when other's judgments will, if we let them,
negative.creep into our behavior. John Powell's book, Why
One would have thought that these people, sinceam I Afraid to Tell You Who I am is one of my
they were on vacation would have been able tofavorites. In it John talks about the value of
relax and enjoy life at least for a week. Not so. Ifvulnerability and the pitfalls of hiding. I wish I had
they were unhappy on shore they were just asread it years before I did. I am confident I would
unhappy on board. If they were angry on shorehave had fewer years of guilt, disappointment,
they were just as angry on board. If they werestruggle and pain as I worked on becoming a
happy on shore they were just as happy onhuman being rather than a human doing. Note the
board.subtle difference.
"The problem is not in the stars, but in ourselves".Rediscovering yourself is getting in touch with
What is Rediscovering Yourselfyour divinity and its expression through your
Lets look at the definition: Discover, To obtainhumanity.
sight or knowledge of for the first time. To make