Who Am I? Ummm... The Reinvention Process

Who Am I? Ummm… The Reinvention Process

I succeeded a woman who had been a head of school for 19 years.  She had done a wonderful job but was ready to move on.   Her fear was about July 1.  “I am going to wake up on that day and no longer be in the role that has defined me as who I am.”  It scared her. At the time, I was not sure why it stuck with me but now I know.

Our jobs tend to define who we are.   Conversations often begin with “What do you do? Where do you work?  How long have you been in the field?”  People rarely respond with what roles they play at home. “I’m a dad. I have three kids. I coach football.  I am a Girl Scout leader.”    

I currently find myself in the role of my predecessor and for some reason, the words from “Les Miserables” keep popping into my head. (with a few paraphrases here because I have not yet been in jail though it could be on my bucket list)

Who am I?
Can I conceal myself for evermore?
Pretend I'm not the man I was before?...
How can I ever face myself again?
My soul belongs to God, I know
I made that bargain long ago
He gave me hope when hope was gone
He gave me strength to journey on

Who am I?  I am (fill in your name)

Jean Valjean, the hero of this tale,  had come to a point in his life where he no longer wanted his past to define him and wanted to become a new man.

When I first began my new adventure into the unknown, I was not quite sure how to respond to “What are you doing now?  Where are you?”    I had lots of answers and they kept changing.  I shared that I was a writer.  I explained how I was developing a portfolio around being a non-profit fix-it guy filling in for administrators. I talked about plans for a website to sell plays.  All of them were and still are true but none of them have defined me. I’d like to return to administration. I’d enjoy being back in the classroom. Or I could finish the five books that sit on my computer in various stages of completion.

Lots of articles are now appearing about reinvention.   As companies change hiring policies and more people find themselves out of work or underemployed, there are a lot more choruses of “Who Am I?” being sung.

Having been a part of this process now for about six months, I am finding myself more comfortable with what’s going on in my life.  I offer what I’ve learned because that’s what you do in blogs:

• 1.     Do not doubt yourself.  You have skills and talents and are more than the sum of a job.  The renowned SNL therapist, Dr. Stuart Smiley, once said “I’m good enough. I’m smart enough.  And gosh darnit, people like me.”
• 2.     Stay busy and hustle.  Follow leads, drive Uber or Lyft, take a part time job. Just get out of the house.
• 3.     Be willing to take risks (consider a franchise, apply for a job in a different field...)
• 4.     Socialize with your friends and continue to entertain.
• 5.     Be mindful of your budget but don’t make it an excuse for not getting out and doing things. That is why Costco and AAA invented cheap movie tickets and a Higher Power created Scoutmob.
• 6.     Exercise.  As the immortal Billy Crystal says, “Better You Should Look Good Than Feel Good.”
• 7.     Identify your theme song.  Download songs with meaning and sing along with the artist.  Some of my favorites include “I Will Survive,”  “I’m Still Standing” and my new go-to sing-along, Jason Mraz’s “Three Things.”

Yeah the third thing that I do now when my world caves in,
is I pause I take a breath and bow and I let that chapter end.
I design my future bright not by where my life has been.
And I try, try, try, try, try again.

Life is getting very interesting as I continue to wonder Who Am I?  I guess I’ll find out someday.