Ever feel like you're racing against time to reinvent yourself, or perhaps you're on the younger side, striving to be taken seriously? Let's cast aside the age-old myths as I, Julie Basello, take you on a spirited adventure to prove that transformation knows no age limit. This episode isn't just a call to action; it's a treasure chest brimming with encouragement, relatable anecdotes, and actionable advice that will embolden you to reshape your life's narrative with unbridled confidence and insatiable curiosity.
Wave goodbye to the idea that passion is a prerequisite for reinvention. Instead, I invite you to join me in discovering how every challenge is an opportunity and how every past experience can be the compass guiding your journey forward. We'll explore how to leverage life's curveballs to catapult you into a realm of self-discovery and unrestrained growth. Whether you're a seasoned individual with a wealth of knowledge or a fiery youth ready to claim your mark, this episode celebrates the endless possibilities that come with each and every birthday candle. Tune in and let the adventure into personal reinvention begin!
Sometimes people let ageism define the parameters of their reinvention journey. On this podcast, I say age is just a number. If you've been second guessing your reinvention plan because of age, keep listening. Have you ever wanted to start over to reinvent yourself? Reinvention is something we all do at some point in our lives. Sometimes it's simple, sometimes it's complicated, but it's often necessary to lead a fulfilling life, and it's always interesting. I'm your host, julie Bacello. Join me for some inspiration as I share reinvention stories, tips and tricks from real people just like you. Let's explore reinvention adventures together.
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Welcome to another episode of Reinvention Adventures Podcast with me, your host, julie Bacello. In this episode, I want to talk about age and how it impacts reinvention. Before we begin, this podcast episode is sponsored by Bacello Media. Bacello Media is my content creation company that supports small businesses with their content needs. Websites, social media, podcasting all require content, and Bacello Media can help your small business navigate the process. We also edit and produce podcasts for small businesses. If you find yourself short on content or want to reinvent yourself with a new podcast for your brand, let's talk. For more information, visit juliebacellocom. So now let's get started digging into this very timely and relevant topic for many people.
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I feel like as we get older, reinvention becomes more of a thing to us. Maybe we sense the clock is ticking or we've had time to really see what we're doing and want to make a change. Did you know that age is one of the top 10 reasons people give for not reinventing themselves? It's understandable and incredible to me all at once. I mean, who actually dictates how old is too old for anything? When you reach a certain age, society may view you through a different lens. There's a standard, after all, that pushes for youth and discards anyone over a certain age. Beauty and youth are things that are valued in many cultures, but at the other end of the beauty youth spectrum is experience, which is something that beauty and youth is pretty much unrelated to. As you get older, you now operate with a ton more experience than you did when you were young. There is a lot to be said for bringing life experiences into a reinvention plan. Now, on the flip side, you can reinvent yourself as a young person too. Often, youth does not get taken seriously, but you can overcome anyone's perceptions to create your own reinvention story at any age. Really, as the title of this episode says, age is just a number, and it really is.
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Let's look at a few tips that might help you with your reinvention journey at any age. The first is taking advantage of those time periods when life throws a bunch of challenges at you. I think going through those periods in your life where you get hit with a bunch of things all at once can be overwhelming For a while. I remember every seven years my entire life would clear out in good ways and bad ways. But if you're able to ride the wave through the craziness, you'll come out the other side with a fresh perspective. Life challenges that pile on can be a great time to clean out the old in your life and position yourself for a new start. It's not easy, I know, but things will happen anyway no matter what. So why not make them work for you in a productive way?
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Another thing to take advantage of is your past. Use your past to enhance the present. Let me explain what I mean by that. Maybe part of your reinvention story today is related to something from your childhood that you've always been good at but never explored. You can rediscover parts of who you are at any age, and the older we get, the more of the past there is to look at and potentially explore as part of our reinvention journey.
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A lot of people think you can only reinvent yourself if you have some great passion for something. I think, at the end of the day, it isn't necessary to be super passionate about something to reinvent yourself. Why not try something to see what happens, just anything? A lot of times we have in our heads that we need to have everything worked out to move forward. I say move forward anyway, even if it's a millimeter at a time. When you're moving, however slowly, you're giving yourself a chance to explore without the need for perfection. Like Nike says, just do it.
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And on that topic, while you're moving forward, it's okay to be scared, it's okay to be terrified. Even Mark Twain said courage is not the lack of fear, it's acting in spite of fear. The truth is that if we let fear drive the bus, we're never going to change anything. Who wants that kind of static life? I sure don't, and I'm going to guess that, if you're listening to me right now, you don't want that either. Not trees rooted into the ground. We're meant to move and grow and explore and get hurt. But keep trying anyway.
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I want you to believe in the power of you, of who you are today and what your experiences have taught you. You're a powerful person. That's right you. I don't care how young or old you are. I'm speaking to you. Everything you tell yourself is true. If you tell yourself you can't do it, then you can't. But if you tell yourself you can, then you can See where I'm going with this. You have to believe in yourself and your journey without outside influence. There are so many people ready to tell you why you can't do something. Believe that you can. You can stumble, even fall, and still believe you can. Failure is part of this journey and sometimes it's brief and sometimes it's your sign to pivot, but it isn't the end of the line.
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At one point in one of my own reinvention journeys, I was speaking to a friend and he said that some people naturally look at the entire journey at once, get overwhelmed and then they freeze and nothing changes. Instead, take everything step by little step. Of course, you can have a vision for what you want your outcome to look like, but you have to break things into pieces sometimes, and breaking things into manageable pieces can be the difference between getting through and doing nothing at all. Concentrate on the what first and not just the how. The what is what you want your reinvention to look like and to feel like. The how are those incremental steps to getting there. We often get stuck on the how, and the reason for this is because change is hard and people will often throw up roadblocks just to avoid the pain that comes with change. Instead of fixating on the how, take steps to make the how easier.
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Not sure how to do something that's required for your reinvention? Take a class, watch a video, read a website, learn how, use the skills you possess and fill in the skills gaps you have. That may delay or prevent your journey. This is all about keeping things moving, even a smidge at a time. If you take a lot of little steps towards a goal, it may feel painstakingly slow, but just think a year from now. You'll be glad you took those little steps and you'll be closer to where you want to be.
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I'm a Gen Xer and for generations like mine, after being raised in emotional chaos, status quo can often feel like safety. But safety is an illusion. We are never safe, and status quo isn't any safer than venturing onto a path to bettering yourself and your life. Isn't it time to change something in a way that brings you closer to the spirit of who you are. The path to reinvention is going to be filled with obstacles and challenges, but reinvention helps you align with your authentic self. Your goals don't have to be daydreams. They can be realities at literally any age.
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The commencement speech that Steve Jobs gave at Stanford University in 2005 was a powerful one, and when I get too stuck in my head about my own journey, I read the transcript from this speech or I watch it on YouTube. It's such an important reminder from a man who never accepted status quo in his professional life and who never let anything get in the way of his vision. I want to wrap up this episode with a quick quote from that speech. Remembering that you're going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. We are all going to die, but right now you're alive and you're responsible for writing your life story and your legacy. Every day, continue to become the greatest, freshest, most amazing version of you. It's always going to be an evolution, but the journey is a big part of what it's all about, at any age. Thank you for listening Until next time.
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This podcast is sponsored by Bacello Media, a boutique content creation agency supporting the marketing efforts of businesses through visual, written and audio content. If you'd like to contact me, my email is in the show notes. You can also find me on Instagram at ReInvention Adventures Podcast or Bacello Media. If you enjoyed this episode and you'd like to help support this podcast, please share it with your tribe. Giving a rating and review is also appreciated. Thanks for listening to this episode of ReInvention Adventures.