| From the first pilgrims who came to practice | | | | they have come from - sometimes rewriting |
| their "reinvented" religion free from | | | | history itself. This is where I think we can |
| persecution to the undocumented immigrants | | | | separate the winners from the losers in this |
| who now wander like Moses across the desert | | | | game of illusion and disillusion.No mater how |
| of opportunity in search of an economic | | | | many times celebrities nip, tuck, lift, or |
| Promised Land, Americans of all ages have | | | | flatten, despite admissions of child abuse, |
| always believed in the prospect -alas, the | | | | multiple personalities, tirades against |
| right - to reinvent their lives in whatever | | | | psychology, and conversations with aliens, |
| idiosyncratic ways they choose, a trait that, | | | | the gems in the rough that always seem to |
| ironically, has come to define the core of | | | | sparkle are those who stay grounded in a |
| our celebrities and icons.When it comes to | | | | sense of who they are.Take for instance Paula |
| controversy and pushing the envelope, no two | | | | Abdul of 80s MTV video fame. It might have |
| people measure up more than the "Material | | | | taken a decade or two, but she is back and |
| Girl" Madonna and Janet Jackson. Their fans | | | | she continues to be the powerhouse she was as |
| have argued for years over which one sends | | | | a dancer, but now she takes on the likes of |
| more shock waves and which is the more valid | | | | the press and "Simon" with the grace she |
| artist. The truth is, neither one has the | | | | showed on the dance floor.One of the newest |
| singing chops of Barbra Streisand or the | | | | and most delightful reinventions is Teri |
| dance moves of Fred Astaire, but their | | | | Hatcher, of Desperate Housewife fame. As Lois |
| ability to reinvent themselves has made them | | | | Lane in the "New Superman" she was strong but |
| permanent fixtures in the music industry. | | | | vulnerable, quirky, but smart and on Wisteria |
| With energy, hard work, and the ability to | | | | Lane she has aged with grace and allowed |
| drop jaws, these provocative powerhouses have | | | | herself to be the clumsy mom who is not |
| already become entertainment icons and it's | | | | afraid to call herself a "dork" publicly.From |
| anyone's guess as to what else they have up | | | | Martha Stewart who would not know a good |
| their sleeves.So what is it that makes it | | | | thing if it bit her in the ankle (above her |
| possible for some "celebs" to be the rubber | | | | house arrest bracelet) to "J Lo" who was and |
| that everything bounces off of and others the | | | | never will be "Jenny from the Block" with her |
| glue that ends up tarring and feathering | | | | Prada this and Gucci that, one must also |
| them. Why hasn't the Crow known as Russell | | | | admit with enough money, a thick skin, and PR |
| fallen from grace for his violent outburst | | | | machine behind, anything is possible.In fact, |
| (allegedly throwing a telephone at the head | | | | you can even be a debutante of high society |
| of a hotel clerk) while others end up being | | | | who made a porn movie, sued the man who taped |
| one-hit wonders on Bravo doing reality TV | | | | it and then was photographed buying multiple |
| with wife and child.Almost all celebrities | | | | copies in a sleazy adult book bookstore and |
| express a feeling of invincibility and the | | | | still end up smelling like roses, or in this |
| ability to compose their lives, to reinvent | | | | case like "Paris."Tinsel town has come along |
| the person they were to that which they feel | | | | way since Plymouth Rock, but the natives are |
| they now need or want to be, and some achieve | | | | still restless and waiting for the next |
| it several times over.It is an ethic the | | | | mythical Phoenix to rise from the ashes of |
| Founding Fathers embedded in the | | | | the red carpet.As seen on CNN, FOX, E!, The |
| Constitution, where before they declared our | | | | WB and Good Morning America as well as |
| right to pray and say what we like (they had | | | | featured in The NY TIMES, SELF, MORE, LATINA, |
| to amend it to do that), ensured that we | | | | INC and Entrepreneur - Joshua Estrin holds a |
| could declare bankruptcy and start anew | | | | dual MS in Psychotherapy and Human Human |
| without fear of going to debtors' prison. To | | | | Behavior from Columthe University and is CEO |
| be sure, while we like to boast that ours is | | | | of Concepts In Success, a natioanally |
| the land of opportunity; it's probably more | | | | recognized PR/Marketing firm for Fortune 500 |
| accurate to call it the land of | | | | Companies. He is also the author of the |
| reinvention.But in the rush to reinvent, many | | | | acclaimed Anti Self Help Books, Shut Up! and |
| celebrities may lose perspective on where | | | | Listen to Yourself! |