I've Never Been This Me Before | LAYC18
- I've Never Been This Me Before | LAYC18 Isabel Alexander 18:17
Transformation and reinvention can be scary.
So why would you voluntarily make the leap out of a known place into an unknown?
What if you can no longer stay in that place?
What if someone else or some circumstance force you to move, change, or grow?
How do you know you are ready and able to make the move?
How do you know you have what it takes?
In this episode, Isabel Banerjee, shares insights on how we are the creators, writers and stars of each and every version of ourselves – Ready or Not!
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LAYC18 – I’ve Never Been This Me Before – Remastered
For the avid reader!
Welcome everyone, so glad to have you here. Come on in to the laboratory, which I call my mind… And let’s see what we’re mixing up here today.
In about 10 days from now, I’m going to be making an announcement. Pretty exciting, big stuff is coming for me. And I want to share that with you. In preparation for that milestone event… I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting and thinking about my life’s journey and experience, which I often referred to as the magical mystery tour.
And I thought about how I would never have guessed when I was a teenager or a young woman that I would be here today at age 66, as a podcast host, and having the opportunity to openly share my life and my thoughts with all of you. Even better, to be able to interview some amazing women and have them share so generously their experiences and their advice and, really all together, lift and climb, and build each other’s success ladders.
I truly, feel blessed, to be in this position today of figuring out how to do all of this. When I don’t have a guide, I don’t have a manual. I didn’t have a long-term strategic plan to become this at the stage of my life, but I do love it. And I am grateful to all of you that joined me on this journey.
About two years ago, I published a book called Who Am I Now?: Feminine Wisdom – Unmasked Uncensored. And it was a very cathartic experience to write that story. Which was mostly the story of my evolution, my life. And discovering… Who I am… at many, many stages, but it was also an anthology of 20 other women, contributing their experience and their wisdom, to really create what I call the Womanual for evolving women.
Women are… We’re constantly evolving and transforming, and adapting. I just think it’s fabulous and I highly encourage it because, out of each new iteration of us… I believe we are smarter and we have greater influence, and we can have greater impact in the world. We should not hold back and we shouldn’t hide our light under a bushel, and that we should only ever retire from the things we don’t like to do any longer.
It’s a responsibility and a privilege to continue to grow, and be better than you were the day before. And to share that. However, I know that you don’t just wake up every morning and say, Wow… I’m going to become that, and know exactly where to begin, and how to figure it out. And that reminded me of a chapter in the book, an essay within a chapter, called Transformation Decoded.
That I thought was very appropriate to anchor this episode in this conversation. So, today, I would like to read to you an excerpt from my book. Read the essay called: I’ve Never Been This Me Before. I hope you’ll enjoy this reading, and then I’m going to come back after… And we can talk about that a little further.
So get cozy and comfortable!… Storytime!
I’ve never been this me before. I remember the morning, this realization hit me. I was driving on mental autopilot, letting my car’s GPS lead the way to a coffee rendezvous, with a woman I had arranged to interview for this book.
As I drove, I pondered how I got here… To this place of writing, Who Am I Now? As I turned into the parking lot, the universe whispered the answer into my Consciousness. Distinctly, I heard, Girl… You’ve never known it first, but each and every time… You created you, and you turned out precisely as you should. For that time in your history.
Hmm, history, her story, your story, you wrote it. I’m not sure. What was the most surprising or the most unsettling. Realizing the truth of the statement… The awareness of how many times in my life this had already happened. Or the tenor of the mellow voice of the universe piped inside my head. Is Morgan Freeman doing voiceover work for the universe?
Startled. I began rewinding my memory. Watching the rerun of my life, in my minds theatre. Intrigued and filled with wonder, I lost count of how many times I had become a new me. Each transformation began in a unique uncharted, previously unexplored territory of me. When I allowed myself the time to pause, to rewind and reflect on each of the different Isabel’s I have been, it surprised me to observe the distinct characters I created… Developed, nurtured, embraced, struggled with, disliked, worried over, cried with, neglected, liked… And loved.
Sadly, I realized there were so many times, I did not appreciate who I truly was. As the leading lady of the performance known as my life. I was too deeply immersed in my role to notice my view was obstructed. My ultra close-up perspective, focused on imperfections and missed cues. I scrutinized my life in a magnification mirror, and focused on the flaws… Not on the beauty.
Too often I criticized, sacrificed, and should on myself. Not as often… Did I love myself, and marvel at the beautiful being I was. Doing overtook being, as I shouldered responsibilities, cared for others, and never felt I quite measured up to a self-inflicted goal of elusive perfection. Work harder, be smarter, earn more, volunteer more, get thinner, act older, look younger, stay married, stay single, give more, play less, be a better business woman, friend, mother, wife, daughter, everything to everyone.
Now, through the 3D lens of awareness, and replayed episodes from my life. I see things I didn’t notice before. Like watching your favorite movie over and over. Each time you hear new dialogue, notice different scenery, appreciate the nuances and complexity of the characters, and fall in love, a little deeper with the heroine. We have been students, wives, parents, employees, caretakers, entrepreneurs, and more. Dutifuly, we stuck to our assigned roles, played out the parts others chose for us, until time and circumstances have brought those roles to an end. End?… End of the road? Or are we simply turning a corner?
What road are you on now? Can you look in the rear view mirror and appreciate the distance that you’ve covered from one stage of your life to the next? Have you thought of pulling into a rest stop and taking a breather to reflect on your trips so far? Have you acknowledged the milestones of your life’s journey?… Which mark your Growth, development, and transition to the next and best part of your orbits around the sun?
How do you know you will like where you will end up? During the period of my life that I felt the most off course, wandering without a purposeful destination. I often felt hopeless and lost. Fortunately, I figured out how to map my way forward. And I navigated my way back to the path I needed to take. I created my own process to plot my trip based on landmarks, strengths, and resources. And by recalculating routes, which did not take me to the happy place I desire.
I learned how to reset my compass, that was stuck on who I was. If you are a fellow traveler on the road to discovering who you are now, and who you are next… I prepared a trip plan for you, so you can enjoy the scenery along the way. Before you head out onto the highway, of the next phase of your life… Fill your tank, download your playlist, and read what I share in the standing ovations chapter.
I am so happy to share with you what I learned about arriving at my destiny. Versus the journey. Signal on… Will you go, right or left? It’s your choice to shift gears, and head off on a new road… Whatever your path… Enjoy the scenery. I certainly plan to. Morgan Freeman and I, are about to start a wonderful adventure together.
Well, I hope you enjoyed that excerpt as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. I like to have a little fun, as you can tell. And certainly imagining Morgan Freeman, a long for a road trip with me is pretty cool.
I hope that it gave you a chance to think about, Wow… How many versions of you… You have created because each and every time, we didn’t know how to do that… When we first began as the business person, or the school teacher, or the pilot, or the author, or the mother, or the wife, or the widow, or the executive director of a great social organization. When we begin… It’s the first day, every time. But when we trust that we have the ability… That we have the skills, that we have the strength, and we have the passion to do it. We can figure anything out, right?
Part of my process was coming to terms with that, and realizing that, I didn’t have to be so fearful each time I was a newbie. But in fact, I was just stepping up… From the foundation that I had already built. The foundation of all of my life, leading up to that moment. How powerful it is that if you take inventory, on your life and what you’ve accomplished and learned and overcome. The strengths that you’ve built and the Education and experience that you have… That it’s an incredibly deep, rich vault. A personal currency.
So that’s what I did… I created an evaluation for myself. To remind me just how rich I already am. That I do have a vault filled with knowledge, and connection, and resources, and experience. I made this process as part of the Encore Catalyst methodology… So that when I felt imposter syndrome, or when I felt insecure, or fear, or when I was just having a… I’m a hot mess day. That I could just open my Vault and take a look at it, and remind myself, that I’m really quite incredible.
I’d love to share that process with you. In the show notes, I’m going to include a link for you to sign up for a Free PDF called Unlock and Unleash You. Because I would love for you to fill that out and marvel at the gem that you are. The priceless person that you have become, over all this time. Keep that form, and use it again and again. Each and every time… You’re creating the next and best to you
I hope you enjoy this tool, and I would especially enjoy hearing feedback from you on what you discovered about yourself, and the incredible resources and riches, that you already possess. They are inflation proof, investment proof, they are a lifetime value that you, and only you, possess.
And PS.
It just so happens, that all the content in your vault. Helps you to build success ladders, and continue to climb, and to lift others. Thanks for joining me today. Bye for now.
About the Host:
Isabel Alexander
Your Next Business Strategist and Transformation Catalyst
Isabel Alexander’s journey from modest beginnings to global recognition epitomizes entrepreneurial resilience and Innovation. With over five decades of experience spanning diverse industries, she has become a driving force in shaping economic landscapes worldwide. Noteworthy accomplishments include founding a multimillion-dollar global chemical wholesale business and earning accolades such as Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.
As a mentor and advocate, Isabel empowers women entrepreneurs through initiatives like the Lift As You Climb Movement and podcasts, guiding them from startup to maturity. Serving as Chief Encore Officer of The Encore Catalyst, she dedicates herself to Coaching and educating emerging entrepreneurs. Her involvement in organizations like RenegadesReinventing.com and Femme on Fire underscores her commitment to leadership and business development.
Additionally, Isabel’s advisory roles with government bodies and trade associations, such as Chair of the Canadian Association of Importers & Exporters, highlight her influence in shaping trade policies and fostering international relations.
Driven by her mantra, “Lift As You Climb,” Isabel embodies the ethos of mutual growth and empowerment. With dual citizenship in Canada and the United States, she values her extensive family and embraces global connections through Travel and professional engagements. Isabel Alexander’s narrative serves as a beacon of inspiration, illustrating how visionary leadership and strategic advising can drive global entrepreneurship and economic independence forward.
Founder:
The Encore Catalyst Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/TheEncoreCatalyst )
and
Chief Encore Officer, The Encore Catalyst (www.theencorecatalyst.com) – an accelerator for feminine wisdom, influence, and impact.
also
Author & Speaker ‘Who Am I Now? – Feminine Wisdom Unmasked Uncensored’ https://whoaminowbook.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabelannalexander/
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