Re-inventing yourself

I don't know about you, but I got to move pretty often as a kid. While some kids dreaded the new school, new friends, and new situation stresses of moving, I always embraced it. It was a time to start over, to be whoever I wanted to be and change in ways that I had not allowed myself to in my short little life.

As an adult, the prospect of moving has become much harder for me. I enjoy making movies and visiting new places, taking new and different casting and talent booking jobs and throwing myself into new challenges, but altering my surroundings is a much tougher sell to my adult self. So how does one go about re-inventing and re-invigorating yourself when you also want to start laying down roots?

Sure, a new haircut helps and new work out routines or hobbies can also be invigorating, but what are you really changing? I have been actively trying to embrace this new reinvention challenge by forcing myself out of my comfort zone. My friend Victoria always reminds me that its not good to get too comfortable in one area of your life and that embracing that which scares us is actually a great way of healing.

So I'm starting small. I hate the sound of my own voice, even on the cell phone message. Perhaps the new, re-invented me, doesn't want to have those insecurities! But what to do to correct it? Do I all of the sudden take up acting or singing and jump into it 100% ? Not exactly. I've been writing for a radio show called, THE PEITR (pink elephant in the room) REPORT for my good friend Chad Steers. My two last reports were about health and fitness and then a political satire on the morning show wars. Chad brought in a few actors to help us out if we needed and read our segments on air, or we could opt to do them ourselves. I decided to put my big girl skirt on get ready for my microphone close up.

Terrifying is the word that comes to mind. I'm pretty sure I broke out in hives and made every stupid inappropriate joke you can make to a group of strangers, as I do when I'm nervous. But in the end, I got some great help from my fellow writers and the show, to my great surprise, was not ruined by my voice. People actually laughed where they were suppose to laugh and it came out alright! Who knew!

The re-invention process doesn't need to involve me dying my hair purple...it can happen in many little ways, little baby elephant steps at a time. Plus, as you're looking to change the things you don't like, you'll probably learn that there are a few things that you really do like about yourself and your surroundings. So find something you're afraid of and kick its ass. You'll feel radballs.