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Have you reinvented yourself, or started a movement?
Seth Godin, Sir Ken Robinson and Derek Sivers all talk about the potential we have to effect the change we want and start something that attracts attention and gets followed. I believe this too, but I'd love to hear from people who've done it. What was it you changed, and why? What struggles did you have and how did you overcome them? And what lies ahead for you?
Anuraag Reddy
Elaine McLellan
I am the author of the first secondary work extracted from the white papers. My book is, "Gimpy's Secret . . .it's what's missing." Looks like a children's book but it's not just kid stuff.
We now know what love is, how it works and what has to be in place to cause it to occur. Very exciting. Has nothing to do with religion or politics although it should have everything to do with them.
The movement is being directed from tgconnection.org
Thanks for the opportunity to share :)
Audrey Misiano
James Stork
Kim Bunting
Our program helped start the movement of using technology in social service programs. In the beginning, we had many people who thought it couldn’t be done. “Poor people with hock the computers for crack!” they declared. “Social services have to be done face-to-face,” they said. “This will never work!”
The nay-sayers were wrong… We've served more than 10,000 families in 180 programs throughout the U.S.. We've helped people on welfare, at-risk youth, people coming out of prison, kids coming out of the foster care system, Native Americans, and many more. We’ve been studied by several universities and the results have been outstanding – our program in Dallas has resulted in 84% of our participants getting off welfare AND staying off (up to seven years after program exit!)
Opening a new market has been a struggle – particularly because most of our programs are paid for through the government. We’ve learned that getting outstanding results isn’t the only thing that matters – sometimes we’re fighting against the whims of the general public (“the government shouldn’t spend money!”), sometimes we’re fighting against people being set in their ways (“we need to see the whites of their eyes to really know they’re doing it!”), sometimes we’re fighting against program staff that just don’t really care about helping people.
Add the drone of those voices to the difficulty of maintaining a business in these economic times, and you get a sense of the constant negativity pushing back against us from all sides. It’s relentless. Sometimes it feels like it’s just too much to keep enduring. But we fight on, for our achievers, because it's changing their lives.
Jimmy Strobl 30+
Well, one of the things I have done is become more influential, I try to guide people to what their looking for even if they don't know what it is... I share stuff and I tell people about dreams and visions more then i used to... I'm more open in general and have greater respect for people... And it's mainly thanks to TED!
Alexander :)
Here's my life briefly in order (I'm 32):-
Marine Biology Degree
Movie Stunt Training - I still would really enjoy doing this!
Factory Work - saving to go travelling - was easier to save than by doing a graduate training job.
Travelled for 1 yr - became a scuba diving instructor
Back home - Factory work again - aquired some debt travelling - the overtime available paid it off quickly.
Security Industry
Built and ran my own high end retail business in Laos
Security Consultant - where I am now (temporary - as I am trying to get into property development)
How's that for reinventing? I know this might not be as big a jump as someone trying to change career after 20 years in one field - but it can be done.
As far as movements go - it's a small thing, and was relatively easy to do, but I started a Facebook group to help a pensioner from being forced out of his home where he had lived for 74 years! We got 11,000 people joining and put pressure on the council - he was allowed to stay in the end. I still smile when I think of him tending to his vegetables. Sorry - I hope people don't mind my little essays.
Rima Nouri
Audrey Misiano
Elaine McLellan
Audrey Misiano
Al Meyers 500+
Onic Palandjian
Stuart Hall
I can give you a few examples of how it's worked, to provide proof, if required.
Hope that makes sense, but please drop me a line if you want to hear more!
Cheers,
Stuart
Mickey Bromley
WE are raising money to get started right now through projects like..... http://www.cafepress.ca/Hand2HandGear ....Thank You
Graham Pipher
I've recently made some major changes in my life, and although I'm in the very early stages, I wanted to share my idea because I've been inspired by this page (any constructive criticism is welcome).
After 4 years of school to acquire a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Health and 2 years of unsatisfying employment as an Environmental Health Officer - more recently known as a Health Inspector - I'm currently in the process of putting together a business plan for a food distribution network that focuses on locally sourced foods, beginning with vegetable propagation and preserves, and expanding from there. Because I have an extensive understanding of the regulations, I'll be able to "cut through the red tape" for my clients.
Demand for local food is burgeoning and will continue to gain popularity, and my business plan creates the shortest possible "farm to fork" connection and will help to accelerate the availability of locally sourced foods.
My business will act as an interface for interested individuals and will include educational materials on the requirements of operating this type of business, assistance with food labeling (sending food samples for laboratory analysis to acquire nutritional information), and a supply contract where inventories and wholesale pricing schemes are determined. My business will have a low one-time fee for wholesale listing and to cover the aforementioned costs associated with bringing the food or food product to market, and this cost will be relative to the lowest application fee according to major suppliers in the area.
While the business grows, I will have exclusivity contracts with select restaurants, and eventually grocery stores, until inventories grow sufficiently that I'm able to consistently service a larger number of clients. This is beneficial because these businesses will almost certainly be advertising in-house and this provides a basis for brand recognition and help generate interest at no expenditure.
Joe Delsen 20+
Debra Smith 200+
However I am impressed with the very beginning of two potential movements here on TED.
I hope it is consistent with the purpose of your question, Andrew because it is not often we get a glimpse of what could be a movement in its naisance.
They can only become movements for better understanding if others find them to be worth participating in so I ask you to explore the topic of movements by checking in on the very genesis of two her on TED!
The first is trying to get a sense of what TEDsters consider common ground and a wonderful contributor added a survey feature. Please go to the question, click on the link and help us learn what is really common ground- and then if you feel good about it tell 3 others (exponential growth is what he's after- Pay it forward!)
http://www.ted.com/conversations/profile/497111/comments
The second is addressing the fact that there are so many areas of the world that people don't know enough about. It would really inform the TED community to share your experiences of an under represented or less than understood country through your own experiences (good and bad) your pictures of your travels, wikipedia links or anything else you could add. It can be found at the link below. Please pass the experience on to others too!
http://www.ted.com/conversations/3131/a_taste_series_to_explore_t.html
Jimmy Strobl 30+
http://www.ted.com/conversations/profile/497111/comments ... And frankly I don't want to go through 97 pages of them to find the first link you were trying to suggest :P
Could you please repost the link for finding common ground?
Thomas Pisarchick 10+
And here is the survey
http://www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=8649b
Alexander :)
Jeremy Barty
The rewards of the changes i have made have resulted in a more fulfilling life and a sense of being alive, but has this made my life easier? i am not so not sure
Christopher Roberts
Intelligent adaption
And potential hold sway
Infinite possibility
And a mindful new day
A pre-packaged narrative
Built upon history
Starts to give way
To a book rich in mystery
Andrea Morisette Grazzini 30+
Lovely and inspiring!
I wonder, given your theme of adaption, possibility and "giving way" if "an evolving narrative" fits your focus a bit more than pre-packaged. My experience is there is something quite solid about my narrative, but also that it is iterative. So as I build upon my history and open a book rich in mystery, my narrative evolves, too.
In any case, your poem is a wonderful expression of realization that we aren't in control of all. Which is really quite exciting, as we write and live each chapter.
Andrea
Christopher Roberts
Scott Armstrong 50+
Tero -
It is difficult, but in my mind, definitely worth it!
Travis Hellstrom 500+
Caroline Phillips 500+
Tristan Vargas
I would not say that I have ever reinvented myself as such, but I strive to constantly create a better me. I have known people who change personas and I find it somewhat disturbing, as it makes me wonder who is the real person.
Cody Stephenson
Andrew Thorp
Sarthak Pranit 500+
Bernd Fesel 30+
Sarthak Pranit 500+
Richard Sanders
My reinvention was triggered by a scientific article about the discovery of quantum entanglement and non-locality.
These ideas where completely contradictory to my believe in absolute truth but they were science and as such, not to be ignored by me. It created a paradox that grew to culminate in a crisis of faith (I was and still am an atheist, but apparently you don't have to have a religious believe to have a crisis of faith).
It triggered an internal war between my believe in science and my believe in absolute truth.
My believe in science won. This forced me to open up to ideas about quantum and string theory, multi dimensional space, and a so called reality existing of no more than probabilities and biasses and all the possibilities that it brings.
This was a massive change in the way I looked at the world. Over the next two years I changed from that emotionally congested and awkward guy to a very open hearted, much friendlier and much more complete person.
So much so, I've even started writing poetry. Before I would have laughed at the suggestion I could contemplate writing poetry let alone actually doing it and delivering works that people can appreciate.
I've changed careers too.
I used to be a very technical and ICT architect. I switched to project management and team leadership and within 2 years have grown at an unbelievable pace to program and corporate change management.
Where I used to stay away from any interpersonal challenges, I now joyfully seek them out.
When I look back, I barely recognize my old self any more.
I feel I'm finally who I was supposed to be to begin with.
Sireesh Gururaja
To me, it really seems like the change has to come from within (no matter how clichéd the expression) because knowing something works in theory, and actually realizing it, are two different things- which is why I don't usually feel advice helps. In the end, I think you have to come to the conclusion yourself, and someone else's idea won't cut it for you, because it doesn't fit perfectly.
Sebastian Moody
I can't seem to find out what I want to do in the future(i am now finishing high school), because i am interested in so many things.
Unfortunately,the educational system in Portugal is terribly organized,because you are limited, so to speak, at the age of 15 to what you are able to do with your life,you must choose a very limited set of subjects to study throughout the next three years, and that limits your possibility of enrolling in areas you discover while you are in high school...
As for a movement,I can't say I call it that,but I try very hard to get the people who surround me(people who are more or less my age) t be interested in things,and expand their horizons,but unfortunately,i have been constantly been meeting a dead end,all teenagers think about nowadays is booze,smoke and sex. Pitiful world I must say
Brooke Iverson
Hang in there. It does get better as you get older. Even though your high school doesn't allow you to experience all the things you would like to, is there a way you could find someone to mentor you in the area that you have interest in? Or are their workshops or conferences that you could attend at your library, city building etc? Just a thought.
Also, I hate to see your last line about how all teens think about is booze, smoking and sex. I find that hard to believe. I honestly feel that they care about the world and those around them, but it is way "cooler" to act as though you don't care and only think about those things listed. In addition, it may be the age you are at- but most people don't like to be told what to be interested in or that they need to expand their horizons. So maybe it is your timing or tactic in trying to get them to realize it. But keep trying- they will soon find themselves thinking of others beyond themselves. It just seems you have matured and evolved to that point faster than they have.
Alexander :)
Firstly - keep your ambition! do not get sucked in to way the other students are. You have time to succeed Sebastian so don't wory about it too much.
@Brooke re: his last line - I think he is generalising and doesn't mean ALL teenagers, however, I do to some extent agree with him - about there being a problem. Teenagers have everything at their finger tips these days, and it comes to them without much effort. Their parents and grandparents are relatively wealthy (baby boomers) who enjoyed a huge surge in the property market and relative value of their assets. Some of these were able to easily afford a deposit to help out their kids - thereby propagating and strengthening the market further. My point being they have grown up with relative easy and become lazy (at least not really seen the need to work hard) - remember I know this is certainly not about every one. The other side to this is those that haven't been helped, see such a big problem ahead that it's almost too big a problem to conceive, and so far away in their future that it doesn't warrent much thought. Therefore live 'for the now'.
I've travelled the world extensively, and am saddened by those I have met who really want to learn but don't have the opportunity to, yet here so much is downright wasted. I used to be a workaholic at school - then fell behind as I started to go out more with the other kids. In the end I guess I can only blame myself for not being stronger - however I have learnt from it, while also don't regret it as maybe I picked up social skills also etc.
I will post above about me reinventing myself, as I'm running out of characters.
James Walker 30+
Just thinking of work... I've worked in TV Research, Advertising, Management Consulting, FIlm, Six Sigma, and indeed have certainly lived that cliched idea of 20 years of experience not 1 years experience repeated 20 times.
Outside of work... Don't get stuck in a rut, then you don't need to "reinvent" yourself. Live in different countries, travel lots, try different sports.
So, summary: Make reinvention unnecessary!
Simone Lackerbauer 100+
Thomas Pisarchick 10+
Alexander :)
I'm stil not sure if there is a word to describe myself and by the looks of it Simone too - Constantly on the move, and (for me) doing very different jobs which I mentioned a bit below. But I now find myself with lots of different 'unrelated' experiences at 32yrs that a potential employer can't make head nor tail of. They can't seem to think out side of this box they keep going on about ;) Probably because they are stuck in their own box - so I think the only way forward isdo something to link it all together or be self employed / entreprenurial, which makes sense if you take Thomas' idea. hmm - I don't particuarly like change, but I am good at dealing with it as I am adaptable. I guess that has been me all along.
Lee Wilkinson 20+
Andrea Morisette Grazzini 30+
A thought, regarding your challenge of chasing your dreams and being present enough to chase your daughter around as she grow:
As I've worked through transitions in my life over the years, I've tried to regularly re-orient myself by considering how I can "triangulate" my purpose, passion and predicament.
Purpose is what I good I can do.
Passion is what I am intrinsically and emotionally driven to do -- my dreams.
Predicament is about where I am situationally or environmentally, in terms of family, expertise, cultural concerns, etc.
This allows me to prioritize and focus on embracing aspects of my unfolding identity without losing sight of the in situ realities in ways that make them constructive, rather than obstructive of my bigger picture ideals. I try to engage each as iterative and encompassing and try to keep in mind extraneous or impulsive distractions.
There are times these are unclear. And others when I wish I could do it all and more. But for the most part sticking to my orienting themes pays off in discernible ways, not least is giving me a fuller perspective of who I am.
Andrea
Chandler Day
Debra Smith 200+