Is it possible to recreate yourself after being who you are for so long?  I get little glimpses of myself as a new person now and again, where I have a new personality trait or I completely change my appearance.  My first reaction is usually, why would I want to change who I am.  And then the second is why not.  I love the idea that we can transform ourselves if we so choose to.  Now that is not to say that I believe we can change the essence of who we are.  Some traits are permanent, like your temperament for example.  What I'm talking about are your habits, attitude, appearance, career, etc.

The people who are closest to me may say that I'm still the same person they have always known.  My appearance hasn't changed all that much.  My hair is shorter now, I traded in the glasses for contacts, and I have a few more wrinkles.  But they would still recognize me on the street if they hadn't seen me in a year.  They would probably tell you that I still have a soft spot for the underdogs of the world, and that I am very opinionated and head strong.  They might also agree that while I have decided to change careers, I will ultimately end up doing something that involves helping others.  However I would have to argue that a transformation has taken place. 

Twelve years of marriage to a man who was controlling, violent and selfish had squashed the outgoing, fearless person that I had once been.  Ultimately I reached a point where I no longer wanted to be that unhappy, insecure, scared person that I had become.  Visions of a happier, healthier person began to invade my thoughts.  Then one day I finally realized that I had the right to be who I wanted to be.  So I decided it was time to recreate myself and rebuild my life.  I divorced my husband and set out on a road of self-discovery.  Once I got out of that relationship, a more confident and stronger woman emerged.  The fearless explorer of my youth had returned and so had the dreamer. 

Maybe age has something to do with it but I now follow my own heart, despite what others may think and feel.  I know who I am and I have given myself permission to continue to recreate myself as often as I deem necessary.  We only get one opportunity to go through this life and I am on a mission to experience as much joy, peace, and happiness as possible.  So I'll change careers, seek out new friends, dye my hair flaming red, or anything else that I decide will add more quality to my life.  Can we recreate ourselves after being who we've been for so long?  I say yes, absolutely, positively yes!