Reinvention Isn't Just for Pop Stars

Unknown Singer on Stage, courtesy of Wix Stock Photo Gallery, but we get the gist.

Journeying through life is a bit like the journey of a Pop Star.

We're trying to get our big break, make our mark, reach the pinnacle.

For some, it's a dream job. For others, it's breaking a cycle of generational trauma. Every goal is personal, universal, relatable and uniquely our own.

We share the necessity for reinvention, lest we stagnate or become irrelevant. I say irrelevant as a catch-all for whatever term you choose to ascribe. Part of my promise for this year is to not assume, so attach whatever feels right and meaningful for you.

When an artist releases an album, some things I look for are:

• Was there growth?

• How did they change?

• What improved or didn't?

• Who contributed or detracted?

• How is this relevant?

These are good starting points for evaluating personal evolution. This can take the shape of incremental growth, but often necessitates a measure of reinvention. Things that worked no longer serve. Situations shift and new solutions are needed. Our values or needs shift.

It's common that tragedy or big life events precipitate change, but in most cases that's reactive. We judder and adjust. We shed and adapt. For the fortunate among us, we move forward – perhaps not in directions we anticipated, but forward nonetheless.

What if we took the best of what artists consider and adapt them to life? What if we consciously reinvent? What if we make these changes proactively?

Just as music can sound stale, life can feel like a retread. I'm not saying break up the band, but maybe that same chord change isn't what the tune calls for. Maybe we throw in a little sycopation. Consider letting the bassist sing lead for a change. Push the cajon a little forward in the mix.

We're all bands unto ourselves with our strengths, fears, hopes, skills, foibles and more. The people around us have the same..

We all throw in together in the Lollapalooza of life, trying to avoid a Fyre Festival.

If we can ask ourselves was there growth, how did we change, what improved, etc., perhaps we can some day enter our own personal Hall of Fame. If nothing else, we'll know we put out the best music possible and that is an award-worthy achievement unto itself.

Life can always use a little more cowbell.