What does it mean to reinvent yourself? 
Essentially, it means transformation. It signals the complete shift in one’s thoughts, behaviours, lifestyle, habits, etc. It refers to the complete overhaul and turnaround of one’s identity as a whole.

So if your life is at a low point, and you’re stuck in a cycle of passive living, bad habits, detrimental thoughts and actions and a negative identity in general, then why would reinventing yourself be a bad thing?

Well, it comes down to the word ‘reinvent’ really.

The Danger In ‘Reinventing’ Yourself
The problem with the traditional concept of reinvention lies in its tendency to disregard the significance of one’s past experiences. Usually, when we attempt to ‘reinvent’ ourselves, we seek to adopt an identity that has no connection to our past self whatsoever. 

But it is the very struggles and suffering from our past self that has prompted the desire for reinvention, so ignoring or erasing those periods of struggle from the story of your life, robs you of the redemption you desire.

Don’t Let Go Of The Past
On the surface, this sentence might seem unproductive, unhealthy & sound like it’s enabling stagnation, but probing into this idea a little deeper shows us the very opposite. You cannot let go of your past because that is what has defined you till this very moment, whether bad or good or a mix of both, your past is what has forged you into the person you are today.

You don’t need to let go of your past, you need to let go of letting your past define you! 

Simply letting go of your past means letting go of all the growth, lessons, hardships and struggles that have taught you what you need to know to change your life. 

If you allow yourself to forget your past, you are doomed to relive it in the future. You must remember the struggle of your past so you are cautious to avoid repeating it. 

The thing you should forget and get rid of, is the negative self definition and identity that is associated with your past.

An easy way to understand this is to substitute the word ‘reinvent’ with ‘redefine’.

Redefine Yourself
This is where the magic lies. This is where the real transformation takes place.

Ultimately, the distinction between reinvention and redefinition lies in our approach to change. Reinvention usually involves completely discarding our past selves in pursuit of a new identity, but Redefinition means acknowledging and honouring the years and years of our valuable past experiences for the growth and necessary struggle they possessed, while consciously living in a way that justifies our identity being more accurately defined by overcoming our past, than living in it.

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Written by Ben Joshua