What's the Mother of Reinvention?
“Necessity is the mother of invention.”
The English proverb is a phrase that spawned creative new ways of problem-solving (see also “where there’s a will, there’s a way”).
Right now, we’re witnessing ‘need inspiring innovation’ unfold in real time amid a global health crisis: large corporations pivoting to manufacture hand sanitizer and ventilators; people sewing face masks at home for health care workers. This is America at its best, coming together in one of the worst times of our collective history.
Entire industries are being forced to shift their business models to acclimate to our new normal; layoffs have put U.S. unemployment at its highest rate in nearly 100 years. COVID-19 cases and deaths are climbing every day. People are scared, and they have a right to be.
Months before ‘Coronavirus’ was even a word in our common vernacular, I added “the mother of reinvention” to my LinkedIn headline. I wanted to convey the fact that I’ve pivoted and reinvented myself a number of times, personally and professionally, and that the work I do now is all about helping people do the same.
‘Perennial underdog’ is another phrase I use to describe myself as a reminder that there’s no shortcut around hard work. When I think about the things I’ve worked for in my life that I’m most proud of, it’s a combination of ‘personal’ and ‘professional’: earning a Masters degree while also working full-time; long-term weight loss (and recalibrating my relationship with my body); moving out of state twice in two years by myself.
Reinvention is something I’m intimately familiar with, and my experience with creatively connecting the dots of the past to paint a picture of my ideal future self helps others do the same thing for themselves.
And if necessity is the mother of invention, then what’s the mother of reinvention?
I would submit that it’s grit plus creativity; hard work plus the humility to learn from mistakes and recognize blind spots. Reinvention means accepting the past while fearlessly heading towards the future.
The ability to reinvent oneself has never been more crucial to our personal and professional survival.
How are you reinventing yourself during this time?
(The image for this post is by Jessica Arroyo and was shot at Hank’s, a beloved East Austin restaurant and coffee shop. Hank’s and many other local restaurants and bars are doing takeout and delivery right now: please consider supporting a local spot and tipping generously to help them stay afloat during this difficult time.)