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Faizah Latif (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

Have you ever stopped to wonder why we pick up certain habits and adopt specific beliefs? We all come to these conclusions about life based on what we’ve been taught. We often grow up thinking that life is like a jigsaw puzzle, and we are supposed to follow a certain trajectory to accomplish life goals. However, if we take a step back and self-reflect, we can understand that not everyone is meant to follow the same path in life. 

I reinvented myself throughout my life. I grew up as a timid girl who walked through life a specific way, thinking it was the only way. I wouldn’t really ask questions, rather I would just simply go along with what I was “supposed” to be doing. As the youngest child, I would observe what my older siblings accomplished in terms of life goals and assumed that I would also go down the same path. I did not realize at this point in time that each individual is unique and has their own journey in life. As I got older however, I started to self-reflect a lot more. I became more concerned with my mental well-being and asked myself a lot more questions. I often pondered if there was more than one way of doing things and if carving our identities was a lifelong process. I was certainly right about this, and I began a quest of self-development. I am still going through this journey of reflection today and will continue to do so, as I still have questions and will keep learning new concepts and ideas.

When I was younger as a timid girl, I did not enjoy public speaking, reading or writing. Actually, let’s rephrase that: I thought that I wasn’t good at these things. All it takes is to tap into discovery and pursue different means. For example, as a child, the reason that I did not enjoy reading was because fiction was not my cup of tea. The fact that I enjoy writing today makes sense because I am very expressive, and I have a creative personality. Also, I was very good at languages when I was younger. As for speaking, this was a skill that developed over time. I became better at school presentations over time, and my confidence grew as I learned to become more social. I also went back to school and studied a different field, one that I was truly passionate about. I went into the field of social work because I understood my personality better and knew that my true calling was to help pave the way for a better community and world. This field suits me much more than the field of business, which was the field of my undergraduate degree. I went back to school at 27 and graduated with my master’s degree at the age of 30. 

Age should not be a factor in reinventing yourself, because we are always growing as individuals and learning new skills. One of the important lessons I have learned in life is that our lives are not linear. We will experience ups and downs throughout our lives and learn from our mistakes. Reinventing ourselves is a brave step toward trying new ways to accomplish our goals and tasks. It is to be courageous in the face of adversity and to explore new meanings that we didn’t look into before, because we thought there was only one approach. Reinventing ourselves takes resilience, patience, creativity and honesty. 

I’ve shared with you my story, and now it’s your turn. Ask yourself, what is it that I am most afraid of and how can I tackle my fears? How would I like to be remembered? Is there an area of my life where I am lacking confidence that I would like to improve? Start with these questions and then work on some goals for yourself. Is there a new language that you would like to learn? A country that you would like to visit? Or maybe there’s a fitness goal you could achieve. In taking baby steps, you’ll realize that reinventing yourself is not as daunting as it sounds! If close ones around you are noticing a positive change in you, that’s a very good sign. Most importantly however, you will notice a change inside. All the best with your venture towards reinventing yourself! 

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Faizah is an aspiring social worker, currently in the process of completing her master’s in social work. She enjoys self-development and advocating for important causes in the community. Writing is one of Faizah’s passions, and she is honoured to share her writing on the Low Entropy platform in the hopes of providing inspiration.