I recently watched a TedTalk by Amy Sweezey, a former television meteorologist here in Central Florida.
I have known Amy for 30 years. When we first moved from the northeast to Central Florida, she was the network meteorologist we landed on. We enjoyed her comfortable and competent delivery. Her level-headed guidance through our first hurricane season, helped to make what could have been very stressful, into a manageable endeavor.
When I started teaching, I reached out to see if she ever did school visits to chat with students studying weather. I honestly did not think I would hear back, but I did and she gladly came to our school to chat with all 100 of our 4th graders about the science of weather forecasting. Her visits became an annual event for years.
When Amy published her first children’s book, It Never, Ever Snows in Florida, we found ourselves at Author Events and Book Signings together.
When she left full-time broadcasting to pursue other endeavors, I was thrilled to read that she was now free-lancing. I began to see and hear her in some Growing Bolder broadcasts, and other media events.
The I saw this TedTalk.
She focused on reinvention. How we have the power to reinvent ourselves whenever we want or need to. A shift in direction. A new endeavor. A life change, whether big or small. Amy shared her own periods of reinvention, and shared some simple and powerful tips.
I have reinvented myself frequently. It seems my reinventions though, have not been taking off one identity and putting on another, but rather, have added another layer to my core.
Some reinvention times were typical and expected, like when I switched my major in college. At 19, I was trying to find a good fit. English, journalism, education.
Some seemed insignificant at the time, but were only later revealed to be a shift that changed the direction of my life. Like when I became a mother, decided to stay home, and became a day care provider to several other children.
When my daughter started school, I went back and got my teaching credentials because I realized I wanted to be an educator and spend my days with children.
When I went back to school and got my master’s degree, I added being an adjunct professor at the local University to my identity.
And then, just as I turned 50, I got my first middle grades novel published, adding author to my identity.
Through each of these reinventions, I did not necessarily take off one identity to replace it with another. Instead, I added more layers and pathways for me to fulfill my vocation.
My life is anchored, centered, and filled with children and books, and each of these reinventions has added to that.
As Amy pointed out in her talk, reinvention can be invigorating!
