Reinvention

[Gamine]

On the topic of personal reinvention, what are your thoughts? Are you someone who wants to keep evolving and changing? Do you prefer to remain more or less constant? Do you ever have the feeling of being stagnant?

The Queen of Reinvention: Madonna

If you are a believer in reinvention, how often do you feel the need to do it?

 

[Mole]

On the topic of personal reinvention, what are your thoughts? Are you someone who wants to keep evolving and changing? Do you prefer to remain more or less constant? Do you ever have the feeling of being stagnant?

If you are a believer in reinvention, how often do you feel the need to do it?

They say Americans are constantly reinventing themselves. But on the other hand they say that in America there is no second act.

No wonder Americans are obsessed with sincerity and phoniness.

But they do say that if you can fake sincerity in America, you've got it made.

 

[Gamine]

Victor, are you familiar with the phrase "fake it till you make it"? I think there is a curious connection between our dreams and our realities. The most successful way to change is to live as though we have the life we want. Much more effective to be a catalyst of change, as compared to just thinking about it.

Faking it until it becomes truth is an art.

 

[Lux]

In my view, growth and personal evolution are my most important goals. If I feel stagnate, it may mean I need to look at myself from a different perspective.

I don't dictate a time line for growth, as it tends to happen as life plays out. We are a collection of our experiences.

 

[Mole]

Faking it until it becomes truth is an art.

It's called the American Dream. But for so many it is a nightmare.

Thank heavens we are awake to you.

 

[ThatGirl]

Those are a lot of noses you've got there.

 

[Gamine]

It's called the American Dream. But for so many it is a nightmare.

Thank heavens we are awake to you.

Good thing I'm not American then

Why would it be a nightmare?

 

[Gamine]

Those are a lot of noses you've got there.

Thanks, I collect them! I usually keep it next to my dust collection.

 

[Phantonym]

I wake up every morning, thinking that "This is the first day of the rest of my life!" and go to bed, thinking that "Tomorrow will be the first day of the rest my life!".

No, I really don't but it often feels that way. I find myself both stagnant and wanting to break free from it all and also constantly moving towards something. I definitely want to keep evolving and changing and I guess I do but since I don't really do anything drastic every day, it's more difficult to notice the changes and more often than not, at the end of the day, it feels that there hasn't been any kind of movement. The realization that actually there has been only comes later on because the wheels started moving a while ago.

I guess the feeling of wanting to reinvent oneself can be linked to the seasons changing as well. For me it's often like "out with the old, in with the new" as the seasons change.

 

[ergophobe]

I think growth is essential to living. I think the evolution metaphor is apropos as it is simply necessary for survival. I've always admired people who can rise from the ashes. Is there anything more human than a hero who emerges having overcome a difficult circumstance? Reinvention helps overcome these difficult circumstances. I don't want to become a living relic.

Then again, it's not really reinvention that is necessary to triumph in the process of living. It's a slow continuing through the process of evolution. Ideally, I'd like a balance. I'd like to learn and adapt and change - all symbols of being youthful. Yet, I like the basic imprint or genetic makeup I have. It's uniquely mine. I don't want to completely reinvent at every step because that would be exhausting and take away from the beauty and efficacy of the process. Better to rely on the natural incremental learning that's built in. Evolve slowly over time, keeping the basic imprint and yet grow stronger by becoming a little more adaptable with age than less...

 

[Mole]

The Last Day

I wake up every morning, thinking that "This is the first day of the rest of my life!".

And I wake up every morning thinking this may be the last day of my life.

And thinking this may be the last day, I ask myself, "Victor, what would you like to do today?".

And then I think, "What a lovely thing to say, Victor, why don't we go out together?".

"Why don't we have another lovely day together, just like yesterday?".

"Why don't we escape together out into the world?".

"And as there is nothing more beautiful than the human face, let us come face to face, one beautiful face to another".

And there are beautiful faces everywhere.

I look into their eyes, for their eyes are the windows of the soul - pools of infinity, hiding humour and warmth, intelligence and common decency.

And all this on the last day.

 

[Kasper]

With reinvention of physical things like my body I. Just. Don't. Care.

With behavioural things I care a tad more as it can relate to personal growth, but as much as I appreciate new physical experiences I don't need constant reinvention there.

With changing environment I have major urges to constantly change, things like moving house or changing jobs regularly keep me feeling satisfied, stay too long in one place doing the same thing and I lose focus and interest.

With personal development, self awareness or personal interest things I'll go through larger projects from time to time that may be more stagnant but it is something that must be continually moving and changing.

Basically, I can handle constant change way better than stagnation.

 

[JocktheMotie]

I tend to view my "self" as constant, but I get bored and tired of life if there isn't any growth or new situations in which to apply my thinking. Kind of like right now.

While I love to learn new things and improve my thinking, I tend to not be too concerned about reinventing myself versus trying to reinvent my surroundings and keep that shifting instead. If I were trying to reinvent "myself" I think I'd lose a bit of a concept of who I was. I would think it'd be quite tumultuous.

 

[ObliviousExistence]

be careful, if you reinvent your self too often you may just end up being diagnosed as a schizophreniac and get thrown into an asylum. On the other hand, if you're filthy rich, like Madonna, then go ahead, at worst you will be diagnosed as eccentric.