It was the decade of disappearing. Technology, ways of life, jobs, marriages, children, blah, blah, blah….

IN THE NEW DECADE, Reinvention is life.  Don’t define yourself, your life by the outside.  Look inside – what do you want it to be?

A friend said to me the other day – “I couldn’t have written a business plan about this…but I have a whole new horizon, access to capital to build my business and a new exciting adventure.”  She could have kept organizing projects for others to take credit for…but she is changing her life and living it.

So if you do one thing this New Year weekend, find a blank piece of paper, imagine what you could do and write it down.  Commit the change to paper, commit the change to yourself.

Start the decade anew.

As the year comes to an end the “Audacity of Hope” still rings true, many have taken the retrenchment and reinvented themselves. In the next year, we will continue “Waking from the Dream” with more stories of reinvention, exploring how hope can make a difference and gain understanding of how to make the most of what we are given and what is earned.

In Reinvention Stories: Brooke Kelley steps out of the mainstream for success 

We celebrate the Reinvention Stories that have given us insight and inspiration this year – feel free to share with friends and family.

LaVerne Adams lives life of her dreams

Marlene Caroselli went West to find new direction

Nancy Merz Nordstrom from widow to entrepreneur

Bruce Irving rebuilds after This Old House

Sally Shields from the road to home

pablo solomon explains what’s in a name

Olga Horvat goes to the dogs

Pam Swingley turns knowledge into power

Gwen Samuels Artist Reinvention

John Hadley third reinvention leads to new adventure

Finally, we will continue to follow the launch and expansion of Cheeky Quilts, with the addition of video diaries from the entrepreneur, Laura Seitz. We offer good tidings, peace and joy for 2010 – thank you for sharing our emergence from slumber.

Thomas Friedman of The New York Times is an outstanding writer and points out how the Great Recession has caused a new inflection – doing more with resources available, doing things differently and gaining traction. 

Read Friedman’s Op-Ed column here.  Doing more in a new environment is what each story on Waking From The Dream is all about.  Transformations, reinventions, building a microbusiness – each uses the new technologies available to reach new customers, new markets, new challenges and new success.

In Reinvention:  Dr. LaVerne Adams redefines her destiny with adventure

Read, get inspired and wake up to a bright new morning!

When one door closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.  Our collection of reinvention Stories and the Chronicles of Cheeky Quilts are reminding us that the door opens for us – stop staring at the closed one!

In Reinvention:  Marlene Caroselli goes to Calfornia and finds new direction

Bouncing Back: Laura Seitz shares her adventure in the LA Garment District

Past stories of Reinvention

Nancy Merz Nordstrom from widow to entrepeneur

Bruce Irving rebuilds after This Old House

Sally Shields from the road to home

pablo solomon explains what’s in a name

Olga Horvat goes to the dogs

Pam Swingley turns knowledge into power

Gwen Samuels Artist Reinvention

John Hadley third reinvention leads to new adventure

All the old adages – apply but mostly it is about making the decision to pursue something new that is the hardest decision.  Our collection of reinvention Stories and the Chronicles on Cheeky Quilts are making an impact on those who are waking up again.

On Bouncing Back: Laura Seitz of Cheeky Quilts talks of adventures in the LA Garment District

In Reinvention:  Nancy Merz Nordstrom goes from grieving widow to lifelong learning network entrepreneur

Past stories of Reinvention

Bruce Irving rebuilds after This Old House

Sally Shields from the road to home

pablo solomon explains what’s in a name

Olga Horvat goes to the dogs

Pam Swingley turns knowledge into power

Gwen Samuels Artist Reinvention

John Hadley third reinvention leads to new adventure