•Tom "Big Al" Schreiter  •Robert Butwin  •Rod Cook   •Jeffery Combs  •Jerry "DRhino" Clark •Greg Arnold  •Artemis Limpert  •Robert Blackman •Dr Zonnya •Ellie Drake - Contributing Editors

Back

An Interview about Personal Reinvention
 with Dr. Joe Rubino,

What is personal reinvention?  

Personal reinvention is a commitment to design one's life in choice, deliberately focusing on the pursuit of excellence in making one's life (and business) work optimally. It means a decision to live from a declaration of who one is, consciously developing those qualities that would enhance happiness, fulfillment, abundance, relationships, personal effectiveness and any other qualities that may be of importance to the person desiring to have it all. When one is interested in personal reinvention, a place to start the inquiry is to answer the question, "If I had a magic wand, and could design my life in choice, what would every aspect of my life look like - from health, relationships, occupation, wealth/finances, passions/hobbies and personal and spiritual development? It involves creating a new vision for what an ideal life would resemble, including who you would be, what you would do, what you'd have in your life and who you'd contribute to. This vision would honor your most important values and be an expression of living your life-purpose while fully contributing your gifts to the world. 

What forms can it take?  

Personal Reinvention can be accomplished in many ways. Perhaps, the most effective way to take this commitment of reinvention on would be to hire a coach. A coach is a person skilled in asking the right questions to support you in "thinking outside the box" and gaining access to those things you "don't know you don't know." A coach sources breakthroughs in our ability to perceive things differently. True coaches do not give advice or lend their opinions. They are value based, not ego based. They do not manipulate or exploit to carry out their own agenda. They are not the same as counselors or therapists. They do not try to protect, control or rescue those they are coaching. They instead listen for where one may be experiencing challenges or may be missing some key element that, if put into place, would impact a desired result. Coaches support us in seeing something that we may not be aware of by listening both to what we say and to what we leave out. They have empathy for the person being coached but are not emotionally attached to an outcome. They serve to champion people to have their lives work optimally. They do this by asking questions, exploring possibilities, making requests and, at times, confronting issues that may need to be examined.  Skilled coaching is a fine art and a highly valuable service.  

Another approach to personal reinvention can be through self-study. Books that outline personal effectiveness principles such as my books, " The Power to Succeed: 30 Principles for Maximizing Your Personal Effectiveness", "The Power to Succeed: More Principles for Powerful Living, Book II",  "The Magic Lantern: A Fable About Leadership, Personal Excellence and Empowerment" and "Restore Your Magnificence: A Life-Changing Guide to Reclaiming your Self-Esteem" provide detailed exercises that support one committed to reinvention to analyze what is missing in their lives that, if put into place, would support them to be happier, more effective, prosperous or fulfilled. 

Courses such as our 3-day "Conversations for Success" program offer participants the ability to create a life-plan for reinvention, complete with a follow-up and accountability structure. This is perhaps the best way to get oneself off to the fastest start on the path toward reinvention.  

What are some indications you are ready to reinvent yourself?  

When your commitment to making your life work exceeds your commitment to being comfortable and resigned to keeping the status quo in place, you are likely a candidate for personal reinvention. In examining the 6 areas of life - health, relationships, occupation, wealth/finances, passions/hobbies and personal and spiritual development - where is life not working optimally? Where are you no longer willing to settle for less than is possible? Are you willing to do what it takes to kill the resignation that has life be less than fulfilling? If you had 300 years to live your life, would you be excited to jump up out of bed each day and greet life with the enthusiasm that comes from living with passion? If this is a concept worth playing for, then you are a candidate for reinvention. 

What are indications that you aren't?  

If you are unwilling to become uncomfortable with the process of self-discovery and are more committed to your own convenience and comfort than to breaking up those ways that do not support your magnificence, then you are likely resigned to maintaining the status quo, rather than going for the gold ring, out of a commitment to having it all, to making life work optimally. 

Why is it important to reinvent yourself? 

When one comes to realize the costs of NOT reinventing oneself in terms of happiness, health, fulfillment, contribution of one's gifts, realizing one's potential and living one's life purpose, the decision to do so becomes clear. We are all magnificent beings at our core. When we settle for being less than our potential and become resigned to life’s frustrations as "just the way life is," we sacrifice our vitality and life energy out of the mistaken notion that we can't have it all. I encourage everyone to reject this path of convenience and instead choose the path of heart. This path honors the person you are, it means playing full out for all the great things in life. It means living from a moment to moment commitment to make life work optimally, honor your key values and live with passion and purpose.  

Check out our web site at www.centerforpersonalreinvention.com