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1 Reinvention

hereisacurrenttelevisioncommercialbyWellsFargoBankthatdescribeshow,duetoaseriesofmissteps,theyhavehadtochangetheirpracticesinordertoregainthe

trustoftheircustomers.Theyendthecommercialbystating,“Established1852.Reestablished2018.”Ipointthisoutbecausethisprovidesagreatintroductiontothetopicofthisebook–reinvention.

Sometimescompaniesandindividualshavetoreinventthemselvesbecauseofmistakestheyhavemade,suchasinthecaseofWellsFargo.Sometimesreinventioncomesbecauseoldmethodsmustgivewaytotheinnovationsofthefuture,suchasweseehappeningwithmanyold-schoolcommunicationcompanies.Finally,reinventioncanbecomeanecessityduetonofaultoftheorganizationorindividual,butmerelybecausecircumstanceschange.

Forwhateverreason,virtuallyallofus,especiallyleaders,cometoapointatwhichtheyarefacedwiththedecisiontoeithercontinuetodothingsthewaytheyalwayshaveandaccepttheinherentdeclinethatwillcome,orreinventthewaytheydothingstoprepareforthefutureanditsinherentpossibilities.Fororganizations,itwillbemanifestinmethodsandpractices,productandserviceofferings,theirapproachtoHR,andthemakeupoftheirteam.Althoughtherewillbesomesentimentalityattachedtotheorganizationalchanges,itisawell-acceptedrealitythatbusinessesthatwanttostayrelevantmustcontinuallyevaluatetheirpracticesandbewillingtochange.

Forindividuals,reinventionisafarmoreemotionalexperience,becauseitoftenmeansevaluationandchangeofthecharacteristicsthatwebelievemakeuswhoweare,andwhenchallenged,webecomeunsettled,insecure,doubtful,andevendepressed.Wemayrealizethatinordertomoveforwardinourlives,wemustmakesomechanges,butputtingintheworkofreinventiontakestime,sacrifice,courage,sheerwill,anddetermination.It’snoteasy,whichiswhymanypeoplewilloftenopttojuststaythesameandacceptwhatevercircumstancetheyendupwith.Changeishard.Reinventionisharder.

That’swhyIamsharingsomeofmyownexperiencesinthejourneyofreinventionandpracticallessonsI’vediscoveredtobehelpfulalongtheway.Idothisasanindividualandasaleaderofotherleaders.Aschallengingastheprocesshasbeen,I’vehadtoforcemyselfintoreinvention,andI’mbeginningtoseesomepositiveoutcomes.Ifeelthatmyexperiencesofarcanbehelpfultoothers,likeyou!So,Ihopeyouwillbenefitfromeach“reinventionreality”thatI’vediscovered.Ibelievetheywillhelpyouwhenthetimecomesforyoutoreinvent.Hereisonethoughttoconsider:

“Nobirdsoarsinacalm.”WilburWrightReinventiondoesn’thappenwhenthingsarecalm.Sobepreparedtofly!

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2 OldDog–NewTricks

hereisanoldadage,“Youcan’tteachanolddognewtricks.”Whilethishasbeenconventionalwisdomforeons,itcouldn’tbefartherfromthetruthforanyonewho

desirestogothroughtheprocessofpersonalorprofessionalreinvention.Theverylastthingsomeoneneedstobeshackledbyisthebeliefthattheyaretoooldtolearnanythingnew.Unfortunately,thosewhobelievethisaboutthemselvesaredestinedtodeclineintoirrelevance,missedopportunity,andoldage.It’ssadandentirelyunnecessary.Theessenceofreinventionislearningnewtricks–lotsofthem.

FlashbacktowhenIwasateenager.Withoutgoingintomuchdetail,ImadeadecisionearlyonthatIwasgoingtofocusonwhatmademeuniqueandnotbeoverlyconcernedwithwhatothersthought.Actually,thatisthenicewaytosayit,becauseinreality,Ibecamedefiantinmywayoflookingatwhatothersweredoingandthendoingeverythinginmypowertodotheopposite.Ifagroupwastrendinginonedirection,Iwenttheotherway.Iftheyespousedcertainviewpoints,Ibecamevocalinmyopposition.Ifsomethingwaspopular,IchosewhateverwasasfarfromitasIcouldfind.Iwasarebelinmyownway;IlivedasBishopT.D.Jakeswrites,“Neverallowthecrowdtodefineyouorconfineyou.”

Ilivedmostofmylifethisway.Ithadgreatbenefitsaswellasdeephardships,butitworkedforme–untilIbegantogetolder.Then,andwhatseemedtobesuddenly,Ibegantorealizethat“thecrowd”wasstartingtodictatetheopportunitieswhichwouldbepresentedme.AsIgotolder,Icouldnolongersolelyrelyonmydeterminedself-direction.“Thecrowd”wasgainingpoweroverme,evenasIdoubleddownonbeingmyindependentself.Agebiasisn’tright,andisadvocatednowhereinmybasisforliving,thescriptures,butithasbecomeanunfortunatepracticeinmodernculture.IrealizedthatIhadtodosomethingaboutit.

AbouttenyearsagoIfelttheleadingoftheHolySpirittoreturntograduateschoolandbegintoprepareforthedaywhen“thecrowd,”oratleastafewleaderswithanagebias,decidedmyvaluewasdeterminedbymyage.(And,bytheway,Iwasn’toldbyanystandards.)Havingnotbeenagreatstudentinthepast,itwasalmostfunnythatIwouldevenconsiderit.However,Iwentback,determinedtobuck“thecrowd”onemoretimeandprovethatIcouldlearnnewtricks.Flashforward,andtodayIhaveearnedmydoctorateandamembarkingonseveralrelated,buttotallyreinvented,waysofcarryingoutmycallinginlife.IamdoingthingsthatIneverwouldhaveexpectedtobedoingtenyearsago.

Iamnotfinishedwithmyreinvention,butI’mwellontheway,andIfeelyoungertodaythanIdidwhenIbeganthisreinventionjourney.Ihavelearnedthatageisnotasmuchofthebodyasitisthemind.“Thecrowd”mayhavethoughtofmeoneway,butIwenttheopposite.Thisolddoghaslearnednewtricks.Thatisthereinventionlessonforyou

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today.Ifyoufindyourselfinapositioninwhichyouneedtoreinvent,thefirstthingtoembraceisthebeliefthatyoucanaccomplishnewskills,gainknowledge,andlearnnewtricks!Itbeginswithbelievingyoucanandignoringtheoneswhosayyoucan’t.

ReinventionLesson#1:Believeyoucan!

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3 Proactive

nthelastchapter,Iwroteabouthowinordertoreinventourselves,wemustbewillingtolearn“newtricks,”andIbrieflydescribedhowIreturnedtograduateschool

aspartofmyreinventionprocess.TodayIwanttotouchonhowwhenIreturnedtoschool,Iwasn’tyetinasituationinwhichIneededallofthenewknowledgeIwasgleaningfrommystudies.Iwasfullyemployedandsucceedinginmyfield.Onthesurface,everythinglookedgreat,sowhygobacktoschoolandshiftmyfocus?AsIsaidpreviously,IfelttheleadingoftheSpirittogoback.Ibecameveryawarethatwhilethingswereokayforthemoment,Iwasgoingtoneedanew,reinvented,professionalselftoemergeinthefuture.ItwasonlyamatteroftimebeforeIwouldneedanewsetofskillsandpracticestoutilizewhoIwas,whatIcaredabout,andthegiftsandtalentsIpossessed.Idiscoveredthatinmyspecializationatthetime,Ihadashelflife.

Thereisanoldsaying:“Itwasn’trainingwhenNoahbegantobuildtheark.”Howverytrue!Noahhadbeengiventheinsidescoopthatanarkwouldbeneeded,sohebegantobuildone,eveninthefaceofgreatcriticism.Hewasproactiveabouthisfuture,justasIwaswhenIreturnedtoschool.Iknewthatitwasonlyamatteroftimebeforeitstartedtorain,andsureenough,eventuallythecloudsopenedandIgotwet,butIwasreadyforit!

T.D.Jakeshasstated,“Youcannotplaywithcardsyouhaven’tbeendealt.”Thisistrue,andcanbeappliedtomanyaspectsofbeingareinventedleader.However,Iarguethateventhoughyoumaybesittingatthetablewithacertainhandofcards,thereisnothingstoppingyoufromjoininganothertable,oranother,oranother.Ifyoudon’tlikeyourhand,youcanevengobuyawholenewdeck!That’swhatyoumustdowhenyouarereinventingyourself.Changehands.Changetables.Changedecks.Anddoitbeforeyouneedto.Beproactiveandprepareforthefuturestormbeforethecloudsbegintoopen.

Here’sonemorerainanalogy.Myfamilyhasahistoryofgoingtothemeparksandgettingsoaked.Weneverseemtojudgetheweathercorrectlyandtherainpoursdownonus.Eachtime,we’llhaveadiscussionabouthowweshouldhavebeenprepared.Onetime,oncewegothome,Iwentoutandboughtasetofponchosforthenexttime,promptlytoforgettobringthemlater!Justrecentlywewereonvacation,andatastorethedaybeforewehadticketstoapark,wepassedbyadisplayofponchos.Wediscussedifweshouldhavethemwithus,butwetalkedourselvesoutoftheexpenseandarrivedattheparkthenextmorningwithoutraingearofanysort.Asisourpattern,withinafewminutesitbegantosprinkle,thenrain,thenpour!Wehaddoneittoourselvesagain.Duetotheexcessivestorm,weduckedintooneofthepark’ssouvenirshopsandboughtponchosforthefamilyataconsiderablyhigherpricethantheoneswe’dseenthedaybefore!Onceagain,weshouldhavebeenprepared!

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Asyoureinvent,youwillneedtobeproactiveandpreparelongbeforecircumstancesdemandit.DoasNoahdidandbegintobuildyourarklongbeforeyouneedit.

ReinventionLesson#2:Beproactive.

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4 Vision

‘vespentthelastfewchaptersintroducingthetopicofreinventionasitrelatestoourprofessional,personal,andleadershiplives.We’vediscussedhowtheneedfor

reinvention,moreoftenthannot,istheresultofachangeinexternalcircumstancesaboutwhichwehavelittlecontrol,andthatwemustbeproactiveaboutitsinevitabilityandembracethebeliefthatwecan,indeed,becomeawholenewversionofourselves.Asyoucanimagine,myreinventionjourneyhasbeenaprocessoflearningandreshapingmymindtothinkaboutthingsthatIdidn’tseeasnecessarywhenIwasyounger.I’vedoneatonofreadingandwritingasIcontinuetocreateanewmethatincludessomeofthebesttraitsofmyyouth,butalsoexpandsmyperspective,whichhasbecomemoreopentonewconceptsandcriticalthinking,whichIneverimaginedwouldhappen.

Afewyearsback,JohnTarnoff,oftheReinventionGroupLLC,wroteofthe“beginner’smind,”whichisaBuddhistexpressiondescribing“someonewhoapproachesnewsituationswithopenness,willingness,andhumility.”Hestates,“Curiousleadersarealwaysinterestedinlearningandunderstandingmore.”Thishasabsolutelybeenmyexperienceinreinvention.Inordertobecomethenextgenerationofourbestselves,wemustbeopen,willing,andhumble,beginning,Iadd,withavisionofwhowecanbecomeandwhatwecanlearntounderstand.SupportingthisisanotherwriterwhomI’veenjoyed,SaraLawrence-Lightfoot,whostated,“Wemustdevelopacompellingvisionoflaterlife,onethatdoesnotassumeatrajectoryofdecline,butrecognizesthisasatimeofpotentialchange,growth,andnewlearning,atimewhenourcouragegivesushope.”

Therearemanyimportantprinciplesinthewritingofbothoftheseauthors,butrightnow,let’sfocusonvision.Today’skeylessonforreinventionisthatbeforewecandothehardworktoreinventourselves,wemusthaveavisionofwhowewillbecomeandwherewewanttogo.Idoanexercisewiththestudentsinmyintroductoryleadershipcoursesinwhichtheymustwriteoutadetaileddescriptionoftheirleadershipprofilefifteenyearsintothefuture.Intheassignment,theymustdescribeeveryaspectofhowtheywillbefunctioning,frombasicdailyeventstoboldnewprofessionaladventures,andhowtheywillbefeelingaboutwhotheyhavebecome.Forthosewhoreallygrabholdoftheexercise,itislife-changing,becausethevisionoftomorrowbeginstodirectthebehaviorsoftoday.It’sanexercisethatIhavepersonallydoneandcontinuallyupdate.It’sbeenamazingtometoseehowmyvision,writtenlongago,isintheprocessofbecomingareality.CertainlynoteverythinghasworkedoutexactlythewayIthoughtitwould,butsincethisisalivingdocument,ithasplentyofroomtoflexwiththenewcircumstancesthatsometimessuddenlyappear.Toreinvent,wemuststartwithavisionofwhatourreinventedselflookslike.ReinventionLesson#3:Beginwithavision.

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5 GritandPatience

fyouhavereadthisfar,youknowthatI’mencouragingyoutorespondtochangingcircumstancesinyourpersonalandprofessionallivesbybeingproactive,visionary,

andconfidentthatyoucanlearnnewtricksinordertomoveboldlyintothenextadventureinyourlife.YoualsoknowthatI’mnotonlyencouragingyoutodo,butIamdoingthesame.I’mactuallypreachingtothechoir(director)!

MyfavoritemovieisRocky,andIhavequotedthedialogueandthemesmanytimesovertheyears.Withinthepastcoupleofyears,afavoriteexcerpthasbeenthetimewhenRocky’smanagerbarkstohim,“Theworldain’tallsunshineandrainbows.It’saverymeanandnastyplaceandIdon’tcarehowtoughyouare,itwillbeatyoutoyourkneesandkeepyoutherepermanentlyifyouletit.You,me,ornobodyisgonnahitashardaslife.Butitain’tabouthowhardyouhit.It’sabouthowhardyoucangethitandkeepmovingforward.Howmuchyoucantakeandkeepmovingforward.That’showwinningisdone!”

Ibringthisupbecauseabigpartofthereinventionprocessissheergrit.Howmuchcanyoutake?Howmanytimeswillyougetbackupafterbeingknockeddown?Howmanytimeswillyoulookyournemesisintheeyeandsay“Youain’tsobad”(anotherRockyreferencefromRockyIII)?Ifwearetoreinventourselvesandlivethenextchapterofourliveswithjoyandenthusiasm,wemustsometimesfightourwaythroughadversity,uncertainty,andtherelentlessblowstoourconfidenceasweattempttobecomesomethingwe’veneverbeen,oramerelyanewer,betterversionofwhoweare.Thiswilltakegrit,manifestedjustlikeintheRockymovies.Youknowthescene.Rockyisgettingbeatupinthefinalfightofanyofthemoviesbyanopponentwhoseemsunbeatable.Itlookslikeheisdone.ThenthethemesongstartstoplayandRockydoestheverythingheneedstodo.Hegetsmad.Hedigsintohisgritandpullsoutanotherwin,anothertitle,anotherchampionship.

OneofmyfavoritepopularwritersisBishopT.D.Jakes.HeremindsusofsomethingthatRockydemonstrateseachtimeheentersthatfinalfight–patience.Reinventionrequiresnotonlygrit,butalsoatremendousamountofpatience.Jakesremindsus,“Justbecauseyouhavetowaitforitdoesn’tmeanthatitisn’tcoming.”Thesearegreatwordstorememberinourreinventionprocess.Wemustbedetermined,patient,andtakeoneveryopponentwithgrit.

BishopJakesencouragesuswiththesewords,“Idon’tcarehowoldyouare,whatyou’vebeenthrough,orhowmanybattlesyoufeellikeyou’velost:It’snevertoolatetowinthewar.Repositioning[reinvention]willrequireyoutorekindlethecoldashesofwhatwasonceyourfierypassion.Youwillhavetoallowyourselftohopeagain.”

ReinventionLesson#4:Youmusthavegritandpatience.

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6 Determination

uriBashmetwasbornin1953andisaUkrainian-born,world-classviolist.Heisknowntoproduceauniqueblendofimpulsivedaringaswellasmusicalsensitivity

thatissimplybreathtaking.Yurirevampedtheviola’srepertoireandimagethroughhisworldtoursandhisspicyperformancesofnewworksbyMark-AnthonyTurnage,GubaidulinaandSchnittke.HehassincesetuphisveryownstringensemblecalledtheMoscowSoloists,whereheisapart-timeconductor.

Itellyouthisinordertomakeapointaboutreinvention.IcanguaranteethatYurididnotwakeuponemorningandsaytohimself,“TodayIwillbecomeoneofthebestvioliststheworldhaseverknown.”Whiletheremayhavebeenadefiningmomentinwhichhecommittedhimselftothisgoal,itdidnothappenonthatday,orthenext,orthenext.Transforminghimselfintothevirtuosohebecametookmanylongyearsofpractice,dedication,andpersistence.Theoldsaying“Romewasn’tbuiltinaday”istrueforempires,world-classmusicians,andanyonewhoseekstoreinventthemselves.AsauthorJohnTarnoffstates,“Itisnotanevent,butaprocess.”

Thelessonfortodayisthatafteronehasmadethedecisiontotransformthemselves,theymustbereadyfortheprocesstotakemuchlongerandbemuchharderthantheyeverexpected.Reinventionwillnothappenovernight,butratherbyembarkingonajourneyofdifficultpathways,uncertaindestinations,volatilecircumstances,limitedresources,fair-weatherfriends,brokenpromises,andapersonalbattlewithfearanddoubt.Reinventionismostcertainlynotforthefaintofheart,butforthosewhoarewillingtoconfronttheirfearsandovercomeuncertainty,anewversionoflife,astheyknowit,awaits.SaraLawrence-Lightfootdescribespeoplewhoreinventtheirlivesas“bordercrosserswholetgoofthefearoftheunknownandthefearoffailure,”andSteveDonahuespeaksofcrossingbordersonhisjourneyacrosstheSaharaDesertinhisbookShiftingSandsas“significantturningpoints,momentsoftruth,andopportunitiesforquantuminnergrowthandhealing.”Torepeatmyself,reinventionisnotforthefaintofheartandwilltakemuchlongerandbemuchharderthanexpected.

Justasaworld-classmusicianwillspendalifetimeperfectingtheirabilitytomasteraninstrument,wewhoarereinventingourselvesmusthavethepatienceanddeterminationtobeinourreinventionjourneyforthelonghaul.Wemustletgoofthinkingitwillbequickandeasy.AsmymentorDerricJohnsonstates,“Easydoesn’tdoit–neverhas,neverwill.”However,thetransformationwillcomeifwedon’tgiveup.AsDonahuestates,“Allthatmatteredwasheadingintherightdirection.”

ReinventionLesson#5:Expectittotakelongerandbeharderthanyouthought.

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7 Humility

ntherestofthisbook,IwillcontinuetopresentmanystepsthatyouandImustbewillingtotakeinordertomakeheadwayonourjourneytoanewandbetterself.

Concurrentwithmystudyandapplicationofthereinventionprocesshasbeenmystudyofhumbleleadership,sohereIintentionallyintersectthetwotopics.Reinventionmustincludeembracinghumilityaspartoftheformula.Ibelievethebetterselfwillnothappenwithoutbecomingahumblerself.Inherterrificbook,TheThirdChapter:Passion,Risk,andAdventureinthe25yearsAfter50,SaraLawrence-Lightfootstates,“Itradedmybravadoforanewhumility.IadmittedIdidn’tknoweverything.Istartedfromthebottom.Iworkedthosenewmuscles.”Ientirelyagreebecausethathasbeenmyexperienceaswell.Inthefollowingexcerptfrommybook,TheHumilityFactor,youwillseehowmyownunderstandingresonateswithSara’s.Iencourageyoutoseekhumilityinyourreinventionjourneyaswell.

Lessons Inthebookof Isaiah, itstates,“Thehaughtinessofmanshallbehumbled,andtheloftyprideofmenshallbebrought low,andtheLordalonewillbeexaltedinthatday”(2:17).Icannotthinkofabetterwaytodescribemypersonalstory.Throughoutmylife,Ihavebeenblessedwithtalentsandabilitiestomakethingshappenwhichmademehaughtyandprideful.I’veenjoyedsuccessonlytoeventuallybeconsumedbymyownegoandsenseofprivilegedentitlement.Godhasbeengracioustoallowmetoreboundandrebuildseveraltimes;however,mypatternhasbeentoreturntooldhabits,whenIbelievedthatIwasthecauseofthegoodthings inmy life andministry insteadofHim. I guess I ama very slowlearner.Inthebook7TipsforFindingHumility,McKeeverwrote,“intheministry,fewpeopleareasfullofthemselvesasyoungpastorswhohaveachievedacclaimearly.”Thatwasme,buttheauthorgoesontosay,but“no one inministry ever amounts to anythingwithout being broken atsomepoint.” That isalsome:broken,buthopefulthat Iwill remainonmyhumilityjourneyand“amount”tosomething. I am once again reinventing myself; however, this time aroundfromamuchmorehumblepointof reference. I still believe that I cancontribute, but I will be careful as to how I go about doing so, andespeciallyhowIfeelaboutmyowneffortsandwhoshouldgetthecredit.In light of the seven signs of humility (compassion, sacrificial service,openness, brokenness, self-awareness, forgiveness, & gratitude), I willnotbeboldandstupidenoughtosaythatIhavemasteredthemallandhave arrived at the destination of humble intelligence. However, I dobelieveIamonthewaymorethanIeverhavebeen.

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Myhumilityjourneyisnotover.Infact,itisfarfromit,asIhavesomuchmoreto learnandneedtocontinuetogrow insomanyways.AsIcontinueonthisjourney,Iwillholdontoscripture,

“BecauseyourheartwastenderandyouhumbledyourselfbeforeGod when you heard his words against this place and itsinhabitants,andyouhavehumbledyourselfbeforemeandhavetorn your clothes andwept beforeme, I also have heard you,”declarestheLord.(2Chronicles34:27)

I haven’t actually torn my clothing, but I have shed plenty of tears. It iscomfortingthatIcanbeassuredthatGodhasheardme.Reinventionlesson#6:Behumble.

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8 LettingGo

e’vespentthelastsevenchapterstalkingaboutreinventionandtheneedtomakesomechangesinourlivesinordertogetonwithwhateverisnextforus.

BishopT.D.Jakesstates,“Inlifewecancorrecttheproblembynolongerexpendingourgreatesteffortinthewrongplaces.”Youmaysay,“Waitaminute.I’vehadalotofsuccessworkinginmycurrentplaceofemploymentandcareer.Howcoulditbethe‘wrongplace’?”That’swhereourpreviousdiscussionscomein.We’retalkingabouthowsometimesyoucanbegoingalongquitewellandthensuddenlytheroadstops,therugispulledout,or,inamoment,you’vebecomeyesterday’snews.Yourrightplacesuddenlybecomesthewrongplace,soinsteadofcontinuingtogiveityourbesteffort,you’vegottostopandfindthenewrightplace!

Thisiseasiersaidthandone.Sure,wecanallfindanewjob,career,orplacetoreinventourselves,butashardasfindingthosemaybe,theyaren’tthehardestthingstodo.Reinventionrequiresnotonlyphysicalchanges,butmentalandemotionalchanges,too,andwhenwesuddenlymustswitchgearsandputoureffortsintonewventuresandtransformedidentities,weoftenfindourselveshangingonemotionallytowhatusedtobeoursweetspot.Asdifficultasitcanbe,though,wemustletgoofwhatweonceloved.

AnatoleFrancestated,“Whatweleavebehindusispartofourselves;wemustdietoonelifebeforewecanenteranother.”SaraLawrence-Lightfootdescribedthisfeelingofthedeathofalifeoncelivedandloved:

The transition – sometimes abrupt and at other times protracted – isusuallyatimeoffear,ambivalence,andchaos,duringwhichitishardtoarticulatewhereyouareheadingorhowyouwillgetthere,andlifefeelsoutofbalanceandunfocused.

Eachofthesewritersiscorrect.Theprocessofreinventionisverymuchthedeathofonelifeinfavorofanother,butitisoftenthrustuponusunwillingly,causingmuchangstandfear.Still,ifwearetoreinvent,wemustacceptthatitisanecessarypartoftheprocess.Reinventionrequireslettinggoofwhatyoulovedandgrievingitslossbeforeyoucangrabholdofthenewlifeahead.JohnTarnoffstated,“Processingalosstakestime.Buttheproductivecourseofactionistomoveasquicklyaspossiblefromprotestingthelossandblamingyourselforotherstoturningthesituationtoyouradvantage.”Again,thisiseasiersaidthandone.Notwopeoplegrieveexactlyalikeandeveryonewilltakeadifferentamountoftimetogetthroughtheprocessandcompletetheirreinvention.However,itcanandwillbeaccomplishedbygettingtothepointoflettinggoofthepast,evenagreatonethatsuddenlycametoanend,andstrivingtogoforwardtothebetterlifeahead.ReinventionLesson#7:Letgo.

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9 TheUncertaintyofItAll

nyonewhohasgonethroughapersonalorprofessionalreinventionunderstandsthataconstantcompaniononthejourneyisuncertainty.Asonefiguresoutallthat

itmeanstobecomethenewerversionofthemselves,theyquicklydiscoverhowmuchtheytrulyhavenocontrolover,orevenknowledgeof,atanyparticulartime.Experiencingreinventionistobeuncertainmuchofthetime.Certaintyisthegoal,butitisaluxurythatmayormaynoteversurface.ThishasbeenmyexperienceasIhavebeenreinventingmyselfforalongperiodoftime,andIcan’tsaythatIlikeuncertaintyonebit.Forsomeonelikeme,whohasalwayspridedmyselfonbeingproactive,organized,andplanned,goingthroughanextendedtimewhenIreallycouldnotseewhatwasaheadofme(otherthanmyidealvision)hasbeenveryunsettling.

Oneoftheauthorswhohavebeenhelpfultomeinthisprocess,andoneI’vequotedoften,isSaraLawrence-Lightfoot,whostated,asquotedinthepreviouschapter:

The transition – sometimes abrupt and at other times protracted – isusuallyatimeoffear,ambivalence,andchaos,duringwhichitishardtoarticulatewhereyouareheadingorhowyouwillgetthere,andlifefeelsoutofbalanceandunfocused.

AnotherextremelyhelpfulwriterisSteveDonahue,whoalsodescribedtheuncertaintywell.

Youaren’treallyanywhere–it[theroad]juststops.Lifeislikethat,too.Sometimesthepavedroadyou’vebeenspeedingalongquitecomfortablysuddenly ends and you’re in a desert, a place where our lives seemuncertain andunpredictable, andplanning andexperiencehave limitedvalue.

EachofthesedescribesthefeelingIhavehadinthepitofmystomach.Iwasgoingalonganddoingwell,thenallofasuddenlifetookachaoticturn,andIwasnolongerontheroadIknewsowell.Iwasforcedintoatimeofreinventionthatisstillinprogress,thoughIhopeIamgettingclosetothefinishline.Wewillsee.Itisajourneywithanuncertainend.Ihaveagoodideaofwhenmyjourneybegan,butverylittleinformationastowhenitwillcometoaclose.Imaynotevenfullyknowwhenitdoes.ThegoodnewsisthatIamcertainofonething:Iamontheroad,movingtowardmyreinvention,andregardlessofhowitplaysoutorhowlongittakes,Iwillbebetteroffwhenitisfinished.Iamcertaininmyuncertainty.

Donahuespokeoftherewardofmovingthroughthedesertsofchangeanduncertaintywhenhestated,

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Thedesertofchangecanbeanexhilaratingadventureinalivenessifweknowhowtotravel.Ifweallowourdesertstochangeus,toopenusup,toteachuswhoweareandhowtoliveinthemoment,thennothingcanmatchlifeanditsdesertsforexcitement,fulfillment,andmeaning.

This,again,isgoodnewstokeepinmind.Ifwecontinuetowalktheroadofreinvention,wewillcomeoutbetter.Lifewillbebetterandwewillhaveawholenewpurposeforbeingontheplanet,butinordertodoso,wemustacceptandevenembraceuncertainty.

Assaid,Idon’tlikeitonebit.However,it’snotreallyuptoustosayifuncertaintyisourcompanionornot.Itisonlyuptoustochoosetorespondinamannerthatwillactuallybeofuse.Wecanrejectandfightagainstuncertainty.Wecanignoreit.Wecanclaimthatweareincontrolwhenthetruthis,wearenot.However,ifweeverwanttomakeittothenewversionofourselves,thesoonerweacceptthefactthatthingshavechangedandwedon’tknoworcontrolthefuture,thebetter.Forme,learninghowtodealwithithasmadememoretrusting,patient,andthoughtful.Istillmakeplans,butI’mlesslikelytobeconstrictedbythemwhentheneedforflexibilityarises.I’vediscoveredthatpartofbeingthebettermeistheabilitytoadaptquickly,andstaynimbleandagile.Itisthroughtheuncertaintythatthethingsthatreallymatterwilloftenmaterialize.

Donahuespeaksof“wanderingonpurpose,”whichishiswayofsayingthatwemustlooktoourinnercompassinordertofindadirectiontoguideus,apathtowalk,andnotmerelyamagicpotionthatsolvesourproblemsinstantly.Hestatedwhatismyhope,“Wemightberewardedwitha[new]senseofdirectionifwecanstandthediscomfortofuncertainty.”

ReinventionLesson#8:Acceptandembraceuncertainty.

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10 Courage

altDisneyhasbeenquotedassaying,“Everyoneneedsagoodfailurealongtheway,”andT.D.Jakesstates,“Youneedtofailboldlyifyouwanttosucceed

extravagantly!”Thisisgoodadvice,exceptthatitismucheasiersaidthandone.Noonewantstofail,sowetypicallystayinacontinualstateofriskaversionthathelpsustocarefullyevaluateandmitigatesituationsinwhichwemightloseitall.Fearoffailureisacommonhumanstate,whichiswhywhenthosewhoareheraldedasbeingwillingtotakegreatrisksinordertosucceedcometolight,wetakesuchnoticeandapplaudthem.

Allofusfallsomewhereontherisk-aversionspectrum.Afew,likeworld-classentrepreneurRichardBranson,embraceriskasadailywayoflife,whilemosttakeonlythemostcalculatedrisksandtrytoremainassafeaspossibleintheirpursuits,evenwhentheircircumstancesareunsure,mundane,orworse,painful.Manypeoplefearriskandwillremaininapainfulsituationbecause,asSteveDonahueexplains,painfulsituationsareatleastpredictable;however,inordertoovercomeourfear,wemustembraceuncertaintyandviewlifewithasenseofadventure.

Inourpursuitofreinvention,wemustmusterthecouragetolivelifeasagreatadventure,walkingawayfrompainful,thoughpredictable,circumstancesandtakingrisksthatwillhelpusbecomeourbetterself.RalphWaldoEmersonisquotedasstating,“Don’tbetootimidandsqueamishaboutyouractions.Alllifeisanexperiment.Themoreexperimentsyoumakethebetter.”Wow!Whatifwewereabletohavethecouragetoviewlifeinthisway?Whatif,insteadoffearingtheriskoffailing,wewereabletoconductoneexperimentafteranother,learningfromeachexperienceregardlessoftheoutcome?

PsychologistandauthorAmyMorinofferspracticaladviceonunderstandingfearandrisk-takingwhenshewrote,

Youshouldhavesomefearaboutsteppingintotraffic.Thatfearremindsyouthatyoushouldlookbothwaysbeforeyoucrosstheroad,soyoucanreduce the risk thatyou’ll gethitbya car. If youdidn’thaveany fear,you’dlikelybehaverecklessly.Butourfearmetersaren’talwaysreliable.Theysometimesgooffevenwhenwe’renot inanyactualdanger. Andwhenwefeelafraid,wetendtobehaveaccordingly,falselybelievingthatifitfeelsscary,itmustbetoorisky.

Shemakesakeypointhere.Sometimesthings“feelscary”evenwhentheydon’trepresentrealdanger.Alltoooftenwewillavoidtherisksimplybecausewefeelfear.Whenthishappens,wewillstumbleontheroadtoreinvention.Moringoesontogive

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somepracticaladviceforovercomingthefearofriskthatwillkeepusfrommovingforward.Shesuggestsweanswertwoquestions:

• Howbadwoulditbeiftheworst-casescenariothatwefeardidcometrue?• Howgoodwoulditbeifthebest-casescenariocametrue?

Thepaceofourprogresstoreinventionmaybefoundintheanswerstothesequestions.Oftenour“worst-case”scenarioneverhappens,andevenifitdid,itmaynotbeasbadasweimagine,whileour“best-case”maybetheexactthingwhichwe’vebeensearchingforourentirelives.Evenonlygettingpartiallytoitmaybefarbetterthanwecanimagine.Whichofthesetwoquestionswefocusuponwillgreatlydetermineourprogress.Focusonlyon#1andweslowourprogress,butfocusmainlyonthepossibilitiesrepresentedbyquestion#2andwewillbelesslikelytobeparalyzedbythefearofrisk.Couragewillspringupwithinuswhenwekeepoureyesonwhatpositivethingswillcomefromreinventingourselvesintoourbetterself.

ReinventionLesson#9:Havethecouragetotakerisks.

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11 Faith

hischapter’sthemeforreinventionistheimportanceoffaithinGod.TheBiblespeaksofhowevenfaiththesizeofamustardseedcanbeenoughforGodtodo

mightythings.Thatsoundseasy,butforanyonewhohasgonethroughthechallengeofreinvention,especiallyifitwasinitiatedoutsideofourcontrol,drummingupeventhesmallestamountoffaithcanbeastruggle.Hereareafewbrief,practicalmeasureswecandotofindourmustardseedoffaithsothatwecangoon.

1–Getaloneandlisten.

DesertcrosserSteveDonahuestated,“Aloneinthedesert,whetherit’sarealSaharaoradesertoflife,we’remorelikelytohearthewhispersofGod,oursoul’syearning,ortheguidanceofourownwisdom.”Thekeysaretobealone,awayfromthenoiseofmodernlife,andtoshutupandlisten,becauseGod’svoicecomesinawhisper.

2–Moveon.

EarlierIspokeoftheimportanceofknowingthatasgoodasthepastwas,it’sover,andwemustgetonwithpreparingforthefuture.Todoso,wemustgrabholdofourfaith,smallasitmaybe,andmoveforward.Bydoingso,wewillbegintohealthehurtsthatmayhaveaccompaniedourneedforreinvention.Itwilltaketime,butasauthorAmyMorinstated,“Timedoesn’thealanything;it’showwedealwiththattimethatdeterminesthespeedatwhichweheal.”Thepointsheismakingisthatwecaneitherspendalongperiodlanguishinginourhurtandpain,orwecanusethattimetoreinvent,change,andparlayoursmallfaithintoabigfaith.

3–Practicegratitude.

Morinalsostated,“Insteadofpityingourselvesforwhatwelost,wechoosetofeelgratefulforwhatwehad.”It’samazinghowmuchbetterwefeel,react,anddevelopfaithwhenweintentionallychoosetobegratefulfortheblessingsallaroundus.Reinventionisnotalwayspleasant,norisitfreeofchallenges;however,ifoneisontheroadtoabetterself,therewillbeevidenceofGod’sblessingtobegratefulfor,ifwearewillingtolookforit.Merelythefactthatthepastisoverandabrighterfutureliesaheadisreasonenoughtosay“Thankyou”andtoputourfaithintheOnewhopromisestobelookingoutforourbestinterest.

ReinventionLesson#10:Alittlebitoffaithgoesalongway.

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12 JustSayNo

ustSayNo”wasNancyReagan’sbattlecryfordealingwithrampantdrugabuseinthe1980s.Thoughsimplisticinformandstillunproveninactualeffectiveness,it

remainsasincereandworthwhilesentimentwhentryingtokeepouryouthfromeverevenconsideringtryingdrugs.Imentionthisbecausetoday’slessoninreinventioncallsforustohavethesamecryandthesamefervorwhendealingwithhowourcurrentcultureoftentreatsthosewhoarethrustintoaseasonofreinventionsimplybecausetheyhaveafewextracandlesontheirbirthdaycake.AuthorSaraLawrence-Lightfootstates,“Inthetwenty-first-centuryculture,therecontinuestobeapreoccupationwithallthingsyouthful,andaprejudice–howeverveiled–againstthesymbolsandsignsofaging.”JohnTarnoffdescribeshimselfas“feelingdiscouragedandwonderinghowmyyearsofhardworkhadledtoanapparentdeadend”duetohisownpersonalexperienceofbeingpushedoutofasuccessfulcareer.Incorporatelingothisisreferredtoasagebias,andistechnicallyillegalwithindiscriminationlaws.Unfortunately,asmanywhomustnowreinventthemselveshaveexperienced,abiasagainsttheoldergenerationintheworkforceisveryreal,illegalornot.Whatistheanswer?Lawsuitsareexpensive,andpublicallycomplainingaboutitonlycastsoneintobeingseenasabitteroldguy,soitisimportanttotakethelegendarybusinessleadershipguruDaleCarnegie’sadvicetoheart,“Whenwehateourenemies,wearegivingthempoweroverus:poweroveroursleep,ourappetites,ourbloodpressure,ourhealth,andourhappiness.”Whensomeonetellsusthatwenolongerhavevaluebecausewegotolder,wemustsimply“Justsayno.”Refusetogetoldanddon’tlistentothehaters.Ibelieveageonlymattersifweallowitto.Stayingyoungisamatterofwill,mind,andspirit.Wemustnotallowanyonetodefineusbecauseweareolder.Instead,ourself-definitionmustbebasedonwhowechoosetobe,theworkwechoosetodo,andthecallingwebelieveGodplacesonourlives.Toemphasizethispoint,notethatthereisnoexampleinalloftheBiblewhereGodtellspeoplethattheyhaveagedoutofservingandbeingusefulandvaluable.Nowherewillyoufindthatpeopleshouldstopcontributingwhentheybecomeolder.Nowhere.Whataboutretirement?Shouldn’twebewillingtostepasideandfadeintotheshadows?Again,scriptureneversuggestssomeoneshouldretire,sothosewhoembracethecallofremainingfaithfulandproductivewillagreewithLawrence-Lightfoot,whostated,

Retirement isnot in theirvocabulary; theydonotwant to retreat fromtheir engagement in, or contribution to, society, even though they areeagertodevelopnewkindsofactivity,newdailyrhythms,newhabitsofconduct,andnewsourcesofmotivationandreward.

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Inotherwords,insteadofretirement,REINVENTION.However,itrequiressayingnotothosewhowouldtrytocallyoutoooldandcastyouaway,andforyoutotakechargeofyourownfuture,withGod’shelp,ofcourse.Forme,thismeans,asSteveDonahuestates,“bemyselfratherthanimpersonatesomeoneelse.”Ichooseto“justsayno”togettingolder,andevenmoresotothosewhowouldclaimthatIam.IchoosetofollowT.D.Jakes’advice,“Ageandexperience,whencombinedwithactionandenthusiasm,canmakeapowerfulsetofwings.”Youshould,too.ReinventionLesson#11:Refusetogetold.

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13 Legacy

hopeyouhavefoundthisbooktobehelpful.Forme,ithasbeentherapeutic,becauseIhavehadtheopportunitytothinkthroughandputintomyownwordsthe

lessonsIhavelearnedwhileonmypersonalreinventionjourney.ThoughIdidn’texpecttoneedtoreinventandIdidn’tbeginthejourneyofmyownchoosing,I’vefoundthatithasbecomemylifelinetothenextchapterofmyministry,career,andlifeingeneral.IhadbeenperfectlycontentwithmysituationbeforeIbeganthisjourney,andtheneedtoreinventtookmetotallybysurprise,butnevertheless,Ifoundmyselfthrustintoreinventionbecauseothersviewedmeasnolongerrelevant.TomylastbreathIwillbelievetheywerewrong;however,likeitornot,I’vetakenthehardstepsandmadethesacrificesIneededtomakeinordertobecomeabetterme,reinventedandreadyforthenextadventure.Idon’tyetknowthedetails,butIbelievesomethinggreatwillstillhappen.Thosewholabeledmeirrelevantbecauseoftheirbiaswillbeprovenwrong.

Thefinallessonofreinventionhastodowiththelegacywewillleave.EricEriksonstated,“Iamwhatsurvivesme.”Thissimplestatementhasoverwhelmingtruthattachedtoit.Wewillberememberednotbywhatwehavedonewhileonthisearth,butbythethingsforwhichwearerememberedlongafterwearegone.Eventhen,however,ithaslittletodowithaccomplishments,fame,orfortune.Whatwillreallymattertoourlegacyispeople.Whohavewetouchedandsetontherightpath?Forwhomhavewecaredandinvestedourvaluesinto?Withwhomhavewesharedthegoodnewsandchangedtheireternity?Thesearethethingsoflegacythatcomewhenwereinvent,becausewhenwedo,ourviewofwhoweareandwhywearehereoftenchangesforthebetter.Aswereinvent,ourgoalsmaychangefromself-focusedtoothers-focusedandwebecomemoreofaselflessandservantleader,modeledtousbyJesus,whoselegacyweallunderstand.

Oneofmyfavoritepastors,andonewhomIfullytrust,turnedmeontoabookcalledHeroMakers,byJ.D.Greear.Thisbookspeaksoflegacy,thoughnotnecessarilyusingthatexactword.Itdefinesaheromakerasa“leaderwhoshiftsfrombeingtheherotomakingotherstheheroinGod’sunfoldingstory.”Inotherwords,theheroreinventsthemselvesinsuchawaythattheyturntheirattentionoutwardandleavealegacythroughtheirinvestmentinothers.Theseareheroeswhowillbesurvivedbyawholenewgenerationofheroes.Whenthesereinventedheroesaregone,theirlegacywillcarryonthroughthelivestheyhavetouched.

SaraLawrence-Lightfootspokeofpeoplewhoreinventthemselvesaswishingto“giveforward,tobeuseful,tomakeanimprint,andwantingtheirlivestohavemeantsomething.”That’slegacy.However,asT.D.Jakesremindsus,“uniquenessisseldomunderstoodinrealtime,”sowemustbewillingtoinvestinotherslongbeforeweseeanyresults.Infact,wemayneverseetheresultswhilewe’reonthisplanet.Itmaytake

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aheavenlyviewtoseethelegacythatwehaveleftingenerationsofpeoplewhobecameheroesbecauseweinvestedinthem.

Reinventionisnoteasy.Ittakesatremendousamountofemotional,spiritual,mental,andphysicalenergy,usuallylongbeforeweseeanyresultorbenefit,butit’sworthit.Itmatters.Ithaslong-term,eveneternal,ramifications.Reinventionwillturnusintoabetterversionofourselvesandgetusthroughthedifficultiesthatpushedusalongonjourney’spathway,butmoreimportantly,ifweactonthisfinallessonoflegacy,itwillchangelives,makethisworldabetterplace,andimpactthekingdomofheaven.Ican’tthinkofabetterreason.ReinventionLesson#12:Leavealegacythroughthelivesofothers.

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Conclusion

Well,thereyougo…12lessonsthatIlearnedandthatyoucanputintopracticeasyoutakethejourneyofreinvention.Therearecertainlymorethingsthatyoucanandwilldoalongtheway,butthesearethebigstepsyouwilltake.Myprayeristhatthesewillhelpyougetstartedandencourageyoutokeepgoingastheroadsometimeswillgettreacherous.PleaseknowthatIamafellowjourneymanonthispathofreinvention.Idon’thaveeverythingcompleted,norhaveIgottenitallrightonmyfirstattempts,butIamonmywayandIcanseeabright,reinventedfutureahead.Ibelieveyoucan,too!

MaythewindbealwaysatyourbackandtheLordastepahead.

Blessings!

Dr.JohnPlastow

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ResourcesforAdditionalReading

Donahue,S.(2004).ShiftingSands:Aguidebookforcrossingthedesertsofchange.SanFrancisco:Berrett-KoehlerPublishers,Inc.

Jakes,T.D.(2007).Repositionyourself:Livinglifewithoutlimits.NewYork:AtriaBooks.Jakes,T.D.(2017).Soar!:Buildyourvisionfromthegroundup.NewYork:FaithWords.Johnson,D.E.(1991).Easydoesn'tdoit:Y.E.S.S.Press.Lawrence-Lightfoot,S.(2009).TheThirdChapter:Passion,riskandadventureinthe25years

after50.NewYork:SarahCrichtonBooks.McKeever,J.(2011)7Tipsforfindinghumility.www.crosswalk.comMorin,A.(2014).13Thingsmentallystrongpeopledon'tdo.NewYork:HarperCollins.Plastow,J.(2017).Thehumilityfactor:Healthychurchesareledbyhumblepastors.Greeley,CO:

Plastow.Tarnoff,J.(2017).Boomerreinvention:Howtocreateyourdreamcareerover50.LosAngeles:

ReinventionPress.

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Dr.JohnPlastow

Johnservesasanexecutivecoach,churchleadershipadvisor,andstrategicandcreativeconsultant.Heholdsadoctorateinstrategicleadershipandamaster’sdegreeinorganizationalmanagement.Heisapublishedwriter,adjunctprofessorformultipleuniversitiesonline,andworkshopleader.Hehasalsobeenafull-timepastorfor25years.Inconjunctionwithhisfinalprojectforhisdoctorateofstrategicleadershipdegree,hepublishedthebookTheHumilityFactor:HealthyChurchesareLedbyHumblePastors,inwhichhechallengeschurchleaderstoreevaluatehowtheyhiretheirpastors.

HeandKarenliveinNorthernColorado,weremarriedrightaftercollege,andhavethreemillennialchildren!

Hisblogisfeaturedatjohnplastow.comandhecanbecontactedatjrplastow@gmail.com,www.facebook.com/johnrplastow,andhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/johnplastow.