Becoming

When I look back on my life's journey, my knee-jerk response is that I reinvented myself many times over the years.

The once juvenile delinquent turned into a jock, then turned into an honors student, then turned into a scholarship recipient, then turned into a teacher, then turned into a husband, then turned into a father, then turned into a musician, then turned into a music store owner, then turned into a guitar studio owner, then turned into a coach, then turned into a...

But I've decided that what I thought was reinvention is really a continuing journey in becoming. The pursuit of fulfilling my potential and promise as a human being. An extended coddiwomple includes collisions, connections, and collaborations with other human beings engaged in a similar pursuit.

Becoming feels more accurate than reinvention. Reinvention sounds far more intentional and planned than what was really going on as I unconsciously bumped around in the dark from relationship to relationship and experience to experience.

The through-line of this adventure is only visible in retrospect.

Your becoming lies in being more of what you've always been.

Reinvention also sounds more rigorous and complicated than what I remember of the day-to-day experience of becoming. Becoming has been incremental, organic, and full of wonder and fun.

If I'm honest, my journey in becoming has taken on some elements of reinvention as I've also become more "seasoned." My current approach is far more deliberate, determined, and disciplined than in my youth.

And as I've become explicit about who I am and what I do, I've become equally more precise about where I'm going and more aligned with whom I'm becoming.

And yet...

...there is still plenty of wonder and fun ahead.

After all, growing older is required. Growing up is a choice.

Is who you are aligned with whom you seek to become? Are you having any fun along the way?

Scott Perry, Encore Life Coach at The Art of Encore Living

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