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People reinvent for different reasons: to get a better life, to be more respected, to make more money, to be happier, to get a stronger body, to find a better relationship, to know God, or to make life more interesting.

If your ears perk up when you hear about the lawyer who gave it all up to become a fashion designer or the auditor who ditched her accounting firm to start her own pet clothing company, and you wonder how they did it – reinvention is the answer.

If you are curious about what is typical and what is rare among the cases you have seen – the person who yearns for change but remains stuck or the person leaves it all for something completely different – you’re ready for a reinvention!

We’ve all heard of or known people who have ditched their successful careers, given up the stability of the life they’ve created and switched gears to go in a new direction and become something or someone else. It’s not easy nor is it safe, but it’s a way get back on track and pursue our unfulfilled dreams and potential. Sometimes it’s a reflection of how we’ve changed and what we now want or need.

We have all reinvented ourselves in some capacity at some point in our lives. Sometimes it’s a conscious, calculated choice we make, like pursuing a dream. Other times the reinvention is a product of necessity, when we are forced to change because of external factors, like becoming a caregiver for an aging parent, being the victim of a crime or finding ourselves in a health crisis.

Most of the time, though, people reinvent themselves because of their circumstances, making the reinvention a “must.” When we’re contemplating making a shift to pursue a goal or dream, we often categorize it as a “should.”

But shouldn’t we classify our goals and dreams as “musts?” The answer is absolutely, positively YES!

Successful people are already using this strategy. We all have the capability to have success if we choose to apply the reinvention tool by choice.

Think about how quickly we reinvent ourselves during a crisis. We barely have time to think about it, let alone choose. It’s done. All other matters are no longer important. Imagine that you’re going about your life, showing up at work, taking care of the kids and the house and then WHAM, catastrophe strikes.

All of a sudden, your world is literally turned upside down and your reinvention consumes your life. You surrender to your new role. You re-prioritize your life based on the external event.

Choosing to be a cause for a reinvention doesn’t rate very high for most people. We find we’re better at clean-up than we are at putting our energy and attention on creating what we truly want.

But take it from me: I’ve been a welfare kid, waitress, beauty queen, battered woman, heavy equipment operator, Desert Storm veteran, police officer, undercover detective, SWAT team member, author, speaker, success coach and step-mom.

We are not what we do. We are the result of the meanings we attached to the compilation of the experiences in our lives. Every door opened to us and closed behind us represents an opportunity for reinvention.

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Anyone who has reinvented themselves, or is undergoing a reinvention, would be spiritually lifted, if not transformed, by the story of LISA LOCKWOOD. Known as the Reinvention Expert, Lisa is a highly sought-after success coach, media personality, public speaker and author of Undercover Angel: From Beauty Queen to SWAT Team, which chronicles her fascinating rise from welfare baby to beauty pageant contestant to Operation Desert Storm Vet to undercover agent to SWAT team member. Fusing focus, eternal optimism and motivational fire, she harnesses her client’s collective powers, redirects their energy and guides them to monumental breakthroughs. In leveraging her military background, knowledge of psychology and extensive leadership training, Lisa becomes an excellence model for the benefits of reinvention.

As events in her life unfolded, she evolved with the experiences, learning that she needed to take personal accountability for every action and inaction. By sharing her story, one of overcoming adversity, handling domestic abuse and rising above each challenge, Lisa inspires audiences to develop thick skin, let go of victimhood and embrace change. Her message gains clarity through writing, teaching and extensive media contribution, which includes appearances on the major TV networks and, most notably, as a regular guest on Nancy Grace.

Drawing on her own well-established principles of reinvention, Lisa brings a regimental yet empathetic approach to coaching. Not one to hold back, she walks her talk, descending into the foxhole with her people and getting them to confront their own reality. Her mission is in helping others shed their fears and doubts, build their “courage muscle” and take the pivotal first steps in charting a course for success. As the architect of her own reinvention—both in business and in life—Lisa enables people to do the same by creating a climate of accountability and reconnecting people with their passion.

For more information, please visit LisaLockwood.com

Comments (1)

  1. Lisa – we do indeed immediately pivot when circumstances require it. Reinvention might be looked upon with wariness by some because it seems overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be a big change or shift to be significant. Your history demonstrates that achievement in a variety of fields is possible and builds on other skills and talents learned plus lessons from experiences. Congratulations on your accomplishments.

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