Reinventing Yourself

by Ana Palles

The past year has felt like madness to a lot of folks seeking to change careers,  just as if everyone were Alice and they were trying to reason with a Cheshire Cat. Housing, health care, and income have all been under pressure sending employees careening off searching for help changing jobs. Folks are worried. They’re not really sure if we’re experiencing a momentary blip or if we’ll look back on these times and say this was the moment everything pivoted.

With an unpredictable job market, both employers and employees are struggling to survive. People I know with outstanding resumes are fidgeting uncomfortably trying to just get through today’s currents. The rules have changed. In the past year or two, the job search has become both tight and complex. Many of us don’t really know how to compete in this new and improved hiring marketplace.

I read recently of someone who endured twenty-eight interviews before they landed the job offer. And with so many online social showcases and networking sites, getting a job these days is a lot more layered than it was just five years ago.

It can drive a person crazy just trying to keep up. And as we watch the news day in and day out, many of us do wonder if we have indeed gone mad.

But if history has shown us nothing else it’s that often under the greatest pressure comes our brightest expression. This period of crisis has turned the heat up for many of us. Things are evolving fast and at fundamental levels. We will never be the same people we were 10 years ago.

And what this means is that we all have a golden opportunity for innovation. This is fertile soil for, courage, inspiration, discovery and maybe even a healthy dose of the eccentric. After all, creative geniuses are often thought just a little kooky! As doorways open, they beg us to reinvent ourselves and do something we never would have considered five or ten years ago.

We can’t help it, we’re all changing under the barrage of input we receive each day. The things we thought permanent are no longer so relevant: hard copy resumes on watermarked paper, newspaper classifieds and expecting to stay with an employer until retirement age.

We find out about jobs online sometimes popping up on our phones as a text from a friend, a news alert from companies we track, or on one of the many forums. We submit our resumes instantly with a few clicks of the mouse.

But finding a new job is sometimes more about what than how. With so many business sectors experiencing overhaul, the safe, secure, got to have jobs seem a strange memory. Employees are realizing that maybe there is no such thing as safe and secure. Even some doctors are leaving their professions and repackaging themselves as consultants.

But mad times such as these offer us a chance to color outside our lines. Somehow it feels less risky, and for some, there is little to lose. So, what would you be if you could be anything you wanted to be? What would you do if you knew there would be no risk of failure?

How do we take this opportunity to change our lives? It can be condensed down to 4 steps.

1. Tune in
   If you’ve been reading the articles on whisperingtree.net, you already know that tuning in is another way of saying conscious living. Getting to know who we are and what we want in life is about observing ourselves, listening to what we say, and taking note of our feelings. If something angers us, stop and ask yourself why. Don’t stop at the first why. Answer it and ask why a second and a third time. It will give you interesting insights you may not have expected when you take the time to really check in with yourself.
   Being an observer means we detach and watch. Pull out your metaphorical notepad and write down what you see. Who is this person? What is important to them? What do they like? When do you see passion flare up? When do their eyes light up? What makes them happy? What stirred their passion? What inspires and energizes them? What subjects animate them when they talk? What makes them laugh? What makes them scared?
   These are all key pieces of information about you. When you step aside and observe yourself, you discover facets of what makes you special that you never saw before. It is a magical experience, one that should be treasured.
2. Inventory Once you’ve had a chance to look at yourself and understand that who you truly are may be different than who you thought you were, you take stock. What strengths do you have? What comes easily and fast for you? What do people come to you for? What do you find yourself doing just for fun?
   These are all assets. Make a list of your strengths, passions, joys. Don’t worry about anyone else, what you’ve heard in the past, or who you think you need to be. This is for you, an objective, honest listing of your assets, those strengths that make up the molecules of being you.
   After you think you’re done, walk outside for a bit, breathe deeply. Observe nature around you, the smell of the grass, the sound of the wind and birds, the taste of the air. Spend a few minutes grounding and centering with the earth and your surroundings and don’t think about anything else. When we shut our brains down long enough to connect with nature, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to process without interference or self sabotage.
   It also gives your body a chance to voice its wisdom. By shutting the noise down, you will gain powerful insights. Take advantage of this.
   When you are ready, take a deep breath, notice the beauty around you, give thanks and pull out your notepad once more. Read what you have written. Does it all still apply or does anything need to change? Anything that needs adding or subtracting? Try not to think too hard, just let yourself express.
3. Make a Plan
   Once you know what you like, what your strengths are and what inspires you, it is time to come up with some next steps. Making a plan just means you have figured out your next step. It doesn’t have to be big, just one thing you commit to doing.
   Sometimes I start a plan by imagining a scenario. “What if?” Then I launch into a world where everything is possible and magical things are everyday occurrences. It is a happy place for me. The doors all flutter open for me just because I expected them to. My glorious destination beckons me forward, and I walk through swaths of fairy dust and music as I make my way to that wonderful goal.
   Once I see myself there, I know that it is possible and I understand the way. Now I can bring this back to my day to day life and say that is where I want to go. The path forward materializes before me and I don’t hesitate to step onto the road ahead.
4. Take Action I don’t know about you but once I figure out my next step I am flooded with excitement! With the Emerald City glistening off in the distance, I can’t wait to follow that yellow brick road. It’s true that many times the only action I know about is that very first one. And that’s ok. Once you take a step in a new direction, a different view comes into perspective. I can see different vistas, things I wasn’t seeing before from my previous position.

I recently met a woman who spent 25 years as a sales and marketing executive and is now a successful life coach and author. I also met a veteran retired Army Colonel and business executive who is learning energy healing therapy with his wife.

And the physics major who became a Marketing Executive. She enjoyed her job, but when she was laid off she was offered an opportunity to move into Research and Development. Even though thirty years had passed since her graduation , what had originally been a sad event became her salvation. She discovered how much she enjoyed science and research. The unexpected role gave her a new lease on life. She has signed up for refresher college classes and she is feeling renewed, younger and energized.

All of these people started simply. By taking a workshop and wanting to find out more, by saying yes to an offer, and rediscovering a long ago talent. By wanting to be a better partner and finding that you’re really enjoying the work yourself!

Dare to create a fresh future by being willing to try something completely different than you’ve done before. Embrace the unexpected and let yourself step outside your box even for just a day. Take a chance on reinventing yourself and your life. The old familiar rut will still be there if you want to come back. But for now, be an advocate for pursuing your dreams. Stand up for your true self.

Happiness always follows.