How I’m rethinking the narrative.
Photo by Alan Bowman on Unsplash
I’ve written a few well performing posts about reinventing my life at 51…from becoming a drummer, to joining a roller–derby team, to growing my skills as a writer with the hopes of quitting my corporate job before aging out of it (a current work in progress).
But I’ve started to question the use of the word ‘reinvent’.
Is that really the right choice?
Reinvention is defined as a “deliberate act of remaking”, and I think that’s how most of us view the changes people start to seek out in their 50’s and beyond.
I know I did.
But I don’t think I ever intended to rebuild or remake my life when I sought out those experiences, at least not in the sense that I intended to burn down my old life to create a new one from the ashes. Nor am I choosing a new life to get away from my previous one.
What I used to call a ‘reinvention’ I’m beginning to see now as just a natural progression of the life I’ve already lived.
My goal in mid–life is to start acting on things I’ve always wanted to do, but never did. Desires I’d kept buried while taking care of everyone else.
Like playing drums in a band.
Hiking.
Reading.
Writing.
Lifting weights.
Continuing my education.
Choosing relationships where my role is no longer to ‘make’ someone else happy.
I feel the term ‘reinvention’ can feel intimidating for some, like there’s a pressure to become someone different than we’ve always been, build something different than what we had before. Throw out the old life and come up with something shiny, new, and somehow better.
But that’s not the case.
Reinvention doesn’t have to be heavy, scary, or even required. There are no rules for this stage of our life, and that’s what’s so beautiful about it.
We’ve spent the majority of our lives governed by have-to’s, and should’s, and now we get to prioritize the wants.
And in most cases what we want isn’t something new and shiny. What we want is to finally act on the desires that have been within us the whole time, lying quietly beneath the surface – the stories we’ve always wanted to write. The pictures we’ve always wanted to paint. The places we’ve always wanted to see.
There’s no pressure to perform here. No need to build anything new – although we could if we wanted to! We’re just letting our inner selves out into the light of day, where they’re finally free to roam about, explore and experiment. Without judgment.
And we get to bring all of our prior knowledge and understanding with us, forged from decades lived experiences, and funnel it into designing the life we want to live going forward.
So, reinvention? I’m not so sure.
A reawakening, maybe? But also the natural progression of a life already lived, and yet to be lived.
So don’t be afraid to reinvent, reawaken, or progress into someone you’ve always wanted to be. There’s never been a better time than now.
Discover What’s Possible.