Who Were You Before?

South of Mauritius, June 2023

Did you ever change or reintroduce yourself to this world? Why is change so powerful, what can it look like, and how can you embrace it today? Read on!

The Power of Reintroducing Yourself

Yesterday someone told me: “I wonder who you were before — before the 5am routine, sobriety, meditations, solitude, or travelling. I wish I could meet the person you were some years ago to understand you better and what happened to make you the way you are today.”

I found that an interesting statement. Not only because it made me think about the last few years, what I’ve changed and why. But it also made me immediately judge my reintroductions in terms of the good/bad or right/wrong dichotomy that I try to overcome on a regular basis.

One of my favourite podcasters, Africa Brooke, often talks about “reintroducing ourselves” in the context of change. Seeing change as a reintroduction to myself has freed me from many self-limiting beliefs and made it easier for me to move through transitions.

As much as we often try to change others, change starts with us — it starts with deciding that we trust ourselves to be able to change in the first place. And as human beings, we’re always changing. Sometimes those changes are more obvious, sometimes they’re so subtle that we don’t even notice them. And that is beautiful.

But I think more often than not, the biggest barrier for many people is not the change itself, but the recognition and acceptance of the person they want to be. Not only internally, but also externally. That is why I like the term “reintroduction”, because if you see change as nothing more than a reintroduction, I believe it becomes less scary and more natural.

What Does Change Mean to You?

When I thought about the question “Who were you before?”, I realized how much I’ve changed in the last few years. These weren’t just active choices, but inevitable consequences of everything that happened.

At this point, I can say that change has become normal for me. That I’m always changing, and especially that I allow myself to change all over again. That I can adapt to a variety of environments, and that there’s beauty in being different in different places. And that doesn’t mean that change is less scary.

For me, change means allowing myself to be the person I want to be. In the most imperfect way. Here are some examples of what I’ve changed in the last few years:

• I left my life in Berlin and moved alone to an African country I hardly knew anything about.
• I stopped listening to too much to others and relied on my intuition.
• I moved to one of the most expensive cities in the world for my Master’s Degree because I wanted to study internationally, and made it work with savings, and side jobs.
• I began to actively believe in my vision of exploring the world, and started solo-travelling.
• I allowed myself to be drawn back to the African continent, trusting that this was where I needed to be.
• I stayed when everyone else left.
• I stopped chasing friends, and partners.
• I allowed myself to love, and to see the beauty in life.
• I left for Zanzibar without a real plan, but without any doubt about what I wanted. Twice.
• I got sober.
• I stopped partying.
• I started waking up at 5am.
• I got unapologetic about my time, and boundaries.
• I started investing in my health, and personal development.
• I began to prioritize CrossFit and started working out every day.
• I began to choose friends and partners wisely.
• I realized that possibilities are endless and that I hold the key to creating meaning through what I do.

Change Is Just One Decision Away

I am not writing this list to brag, but to show you that change can look different. It also serves as a reminder to myself of how far I’ve come. It is a proof that change is attainable, and more often than not, that change is just a decision away.

Some of the things on the list above came to me with less effort, some with more, but all of them took time. As much as we often want to see results overnight, change happens gradually.

The most important thing is the intention to change, and you can set that intention today. From there, it’s just a matter of time, and one day you might get 1% closer, and another day you might get 60% closer.

Whatever it is — please know that you are ALLOWED to change. In fact, you are already embracing change. Different people will meet you at different stages of your life, and it is up to you to decide what those stages are. People will often try to keep you where you are. But change does not happen in our comfort zone.

Feel like Reintroducing Yourself? Here are 3 Tips:

1. Write It Down: Writing down what or if I want to change, helps me to hold myself accountable for what I want, and often serves as a reminder — this is not about the “how” but capturing an intuitive feeling.
2. Keep It Private: One of the most important things I’ve learned is that it’s not always good to share everything with everyone. I strongly believe that once you are in tune with your intuition, you are on the right path — and you don’t need anyone else’s opinion about it. If you’re going to seek advice, seek it from those whom you find aspirational and who can empower you. (Healthy) criticism can be just as important.
3. Acknowledge Your Accomplishments: It takes a lot of courage to reintroduce yourself, especially to people who have known you for a long time. It’s not always easy to decide who you want to be, and to defend that with all your might. The more you can remember how far you’ve come, the more you can move through change with confidence. Embrace letting go to become who you want to be.

Who were you before? An interesting question, and one that has been on my mind more than ever. I’m happy about all the reintroductions, letting go, and evolving. I hope you can recognize all your reintroductions and that this blog post helps you for the future!