Why is it important to know your roots? As much as we might think everything’s about us, we are just a part of the whole. A part of the family, the community, the human race, we are just a particle in the universe of things. We can be misled into believing that we’re on our own journey, untouched by anything before and around us. However, encountering certain experiences can throw us off guard and open our eyes to the reality. That’s usually when we want to change something. When this notion makes a full circle, we figure out it’s ourselves we need to start with. Knowing your roots is the best start to self-reinvention. It is key for understanding who you are and who you want to become.
Why reinvent yourself?
People usually want to reinvent themselves after difficult times. Sometimes we’ve just had enough and think to ourselves ‘I deserve better’. But wanting change is not enough. It’s the willingness to change that starts the process—and this can be tougher than it seems. If you make the decision and the commitment to start working on yourself, where do you begin? How do you know what to change and how?
This is where it helps to know your roots and your full story. While we tell stories of who we are, where we come from, and what we’ve achieved all the time, we only scratch the surface. We do this on regular basis with our friends, colleagues and new acquaintances. In fact, we’ve rehearsed this so diligently it’s almost impossible to see the story from a different angle. Knowing your roots will allow you to see your life from a fresh perspective and make more sense of your reinvention journey.
Unpick the layers of your identity
What is your strongest identity? Is it the role you play within your family, is it your career or perhaps your ethnicity or your position in the community? If you strip yourself of this character, what’s left? By peeling back these layers, you can discover and dive deeper into other aspects of your identity. It is always good to understand and nurture all these layers as none of us has just one single role in life. This brings us back to the beginning—being part of the whole.
Unpicking these layers helps us understand how we see ourselves. It reminds us that we are multi-dimensional beings capable of rewriting the stories we’ve rehearsed in our minds. Rewriting your story opens doors to new opportunities and pathways. But these layers are just the surface. Once you’ve identified your different identities, you’ll want to understand why they’re there, how they work, and how they intertwine with the choices you make.
Connect the generational pieces
If your identity is made up of many layers, then the same must be true for your parents—and their parents before them. We are most profoundly shaped by the people and events from our childhood. Those who cared for us had their own dreams and beliefs, which influenced their behaviors and, in turn, shaped us. The stories carried through generations are woven with beliefs that shape our identity today.
As independent and individualistic as we think we are, our existence is deeply connected to those who came before us. Even the people we choose to have—or not to have—in our lives continue to shape our identity. When you acknowledge this, you realise the abundance of storylines you can explore and expand upon. Why hold onto stories that aren’t encouraging or helpful when you have the power to pick ones that serve you and guide you toward new possibilities? Knowing your roots can genuinely transform your experience of self-reinvention.
Complete your full story
Once you’ve found your story, the one that brings a fresh air into your life and inspires you to be better, reflect on what’s holding you back. Do you look up to this ideal version of yourself and wish to become that person? Or do you actively ask ‘what would this version of myself do?’ and align your actions accordingly? Achieving this takes self-reflection, awareness, and active work—catching yourself in those transformative moments. But if you stay committed and focused, nothing can stop you.
When hurdles come up, don’t be hard on yourself. Instead, try to understand what role they play in your lineage. How did these challenges come about? Are they rooted in the belief system you grew up with? Are they influenced by the opinions of those around you today? Having this awareness is everything. Understanding the battles you face is half the journey. From there, you can make conscious choices to do things differently. You can choose what version of yourself you want to be.
So if you want to reinvent yourself, go back to your roots and start completing your full story there. Knowing your roots is key for self-reinvention. It makes your new story authentic and strengthens your new identity.
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