Inventions have shaped the world and changed how we live. An invention is nothing but a possibility that becomes a reality, driven either by a strong need or a strong conviction. It comes from a clear understanding that to progress we need to find a different or a better way. And sometimes human challenges have triggered off inventions.

It is no different with us. We may be doing fine and suddenly the world around us may change dramatically. What we thought were our strengths, may no longer be so, and our usual ways of doing things may no longer help us achieve what we want. There are times in our life when we suddenly feel out of our depth and struggle to cope. There may be new opportunities that we want to explore but feel inadequate. The answer lies in reinventing ourselves.

Our ability to be open-minded and embrace change helps us reinvent ourselves. We probably know of so many brilliant people who lost out, only because they refused to change the way they did things when the situation demanded.

Our honesty with ourselves helps us reinvent ourselves. Living in self-denial and with a strong ego shuts us out from getting the clarity we need in a fast-changing world. There are many around us who honestly shine the light on our dark spots. But if we don’t listen, we won’t grow.

How often we have lost out only because we have repeatedly told ourselves ‘I don’t think I can do this.’ How different things can turn out if we change our sense of limitation to an attitude of exploration, and ask the question – ‘what do I need to do to achieve this?’. The way we have our inner conversations helps reinvent ourselves.

Knowing is one thing, being is another. We only reinvent ourselves when our clarity and conviction find expression in our dedicated and consistent self-effort. The wonder of life is not what we are, but what we are capable of becoming. But it will not happen just by wishing for it, but by working for it.

When we look back on life, what we will cherish most is not our success, but the times we found our inner belief and strength to adapt and face up to the challenges and opportunities of life, and the way we reinvented ourselves.

(Picture-Caux, Switzerland)