How To Come out on Top
The Ability To Reinvent Yourself is a Superpower
When I inquire about people’s strategies for navigating these times successfully, I consistently receive similar responses – the usual advice: pursue higher education, secure a fresh job, and some even suggest marriage or divorce – all of these suggestions are valid. Yet, there’s one often-overlooked skill, which I dare to label as such, that remains conspicuously absent from these discussions. This skill is paramount, for without it, traversing these challenging times becomes exceedingly arduous. This skill, without which we are truly handicapped, is the art of self-reinvention.
Observing those who stand as paragons of success, a common thread becomes evident – they possess the capacity to acclimate to diverse contexts and reimagine themselves. It’s important to clarify that success need not be solely equated with financial prosperity.
The singular skill requisite for us all – the Proficiency of Self-Reinvention – assumes unprecedented importance in our current era.
Around two years ago, I was vying for a project. A meeting was convened by the project lead, alongside her associates, where my presentation incurred her severe displeasure. She found fault not in the caliber of my work; in her own words, my performance across various domains was commendable. Strangely, what perturbed her was the breadth of my endeavors. I speculate that my refusal to fit into a specific mold disconcerted her. However, unbeknownst to her, this very attribute had been my clandestine weapon for not only survival but also prosperity. My proclivity for perpetually imbibing new knowledge and adapting swiftly enabled me to realize my ambitions.
A scene from a war film set in Africa strikes me. The protagonist receives advice that lingers – he’s counseled to keep advancing, ceaselessly. Those who stagnate are swiftly engulfed; only those perpetually in motion endure. Reflect upon acquaintances of yore. If, upon revisiting after a span of years, they persist in the same pursuits they pursued years or even months earlier, odds are their progress has been stagnant.
Reinventing oneself doesn’t necessitate forsaking one’s past or fundamental values. It’s not synonymous with that. Rather, it denotes embracing novel encounters, broadening horizons, and unleashing latent potential. Remarkable transformations occur when one welcomes change into their life.