Who are the best examples of identity transformation in cinematic history?

Yesterday, I wrote about an identity transformation that was happening for me personally.

Today, we're digging into the importance of identity transformations as seen through famous fictional characters. Buckle up.

The term "character development" is often used in Hollywood and the creative writing world. We fall in love with these characters for all of their strengths and weaknesses as they overcome obstacles. The best stories and characters require a major transformation in order to be able to complete their journey. The initial character that we met is fully unequipped for the challenges they face and must transform through the events of our story. And so are we.

This wonderful character development and transformation is present in almost all of our favorite characters whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Let's dig in:

• Tony Stark → Iron Man: Tony Stark undergoes a massive identity shift from playboy, billionaire, arms dealer to "earth's mightiest defender" ending both the original Iron Man movie and the entire MCU storyline with his famous "I am Iron Man" line. The verbal recognition of this identity transformation.
• Anakin Skywalker → Darth Vader → The Chosen One: An absolute epic transformation decades in the making. Darth Vader's transformation wasn't complete until he furnished a brand new suit of armor and had everything taken away from him — the physical representation of his transformation to Vader. We then witness the final transformation to The Chosen One as he restores balance to the force.
• Sansa Stark → Queen of the North: GRRM put Sansa into some of the most difficult and challenging situations throughout the series serving as the pressure to create the diamond that is Sansa Stark, Queen in the North. From where I sit, she was one of the only competent rulers throughout the entire series and was far more deserving of the throne than Bran.
• Death-eater Snape → Headmaster Severus Snape the Hero: "Snape’s personal transformation is one of the greatest in modern literature." That's an actual quote from a research paper titled: "An Analysis of the Heroic Transformation of Severus Snape." Yes, that's a real thing. And yes, I fully agree.
• Unworthy Thor → Worthy Thor → Grieving Thor → King Thor → Fat Thor → ?: Thor went through the most significant and constant identity shifts throughout the MCU transforming him from a boring, one dimensional character to a fan favorite. It's a masterpiece in development.
• Sarah Connor → Mother of the Resistance: Just your typical damsel in distress falling in love with her rescuer to a total badass, weapons expert who literally wrote the playbook for how to fight the machines.
• Bruce Banner → Hulk → Gladiator Hulk → Puny Banner → Smart Hulk: Maybe the least interesting of all the ones listed, but I like it because of the visual representations of the transformations. Bruce was in a constant conflict with Hulk until the Hulk figured out how to shut out banner completely. Then, after getting smacked around for the first time ever by Thanos, Hulk has a little PTSD and refuses to come out. Finally to be fully integrated by Smart Hulk (the least interesting version of them all sadly).
• Luke Skywalker → Jedi Knight → Jedi Grandmaster: Not nearly as epic as the Vader transformation, but still brilliant in its own regard, Luke goes from farmboy, to arrogant pilot and apprentice to eventually become one of the greatest Jedi in history. Of particular note, the identity shift from Luke at the end of Empire Strikes Back to the Jedi who walks into rescue Han from Jabba in full Jedi robes is a powerful visualization.
• Arya Stark → No one: From tomboy who wanted to play swords to delivering the deathblow to the most powerful enemy the Seven Kingdoms has seen in written history. Her storyline is a fun one to include because it shows the actual training required for her identity transformation to take place.
• Michael Corleone → The Godfather: it's no surprise that one of the most iconic identity transformations in the history of cinema comes from one of the most iconic movies of all time. From Italian war hero ashamed of his family's mafia roots to the most powerful mob boss of them all. And we actually get to witness the exact moment of this transformation. After an attempt on his father's life, Michael is sitting at the bedside of his father and fully embodies the identity shift when he says, "I'm with you now." The transition of power is complete. We have the new Godfather.

I could go on and on with this list, but I think we have driven the point home. Without the major shifts in identity, each of these characters would have failed miserably to overcome the obstacles in their path. Thanos wins (again). The Emperor reigns supreme. The White Walkers take over the Seven Kingdoms (probably a better ending). And Michael buries the Don and forever regrets his inability to protect his family.

We don't get the entire MCU and all of its greatness without the identity transformation of Tony Stark into Iron Man.

Without a shift in identity, there is little chance of fulfilling our own personal hero's journey. When we're doing it right, the obstacles on our path today are greater than our current capabilities — and that's a good thing. We require growth and transformation to achieve this next level of success.

We have the opportunity to create the identity that serves us best. And from that place, we then take small steps each and every day in alignment with that new identity until one long night we're magically flying through the air to deliver the final blow to an otherwise untouchable foe.

What is the identity of the Master Sage Builder?

Who is the 'Master Sage Builder?'

I am.

Well. At least that's the new identity that dropped in for me today during a long walk deep in the woods.

What exactly is a master sage builder and why is that the new identity?

Well. I went on a walk deep into the woods to think about my new identity, and when answers come to me in nature, I just sort of roll with them. In this case, I believe this particular identity is a combination of the 3 dyads:

• Master Sage: one who has attained such a state of being and whose life consequently becomes tranquil (in stoic philosophy it was unclear whether this state was actually attainable)
• Master Builder: the head of a construction project during the Renaissance period who must possess both the theoretical engineering knowledge and also devise new methods of construction. It's also a reference to The Lego Movie for those mythical beings who would build without instructions
• Sage Builder: one who builds from a place of deep wisdom and alignment focusing on solving the most important problems

When we look at the Venn Diagram of the three dyads, we have a beautiful new identity that both challenges and supports my vision for the future.

Why is this identity critical to the self-development process?

An identity is a "moving towards" object.

It's a vision of a future version of myself that I aspire to fully embody. An identity forms the self-image, actions, habits, beliefs and worldviews. It's the center who we are and what we do. As James Clear writes, "The key to building lasting habits is focusing on creating a new identity first."

As we start living in alignment with our identity through our essence, our behaviors and our environment, we convince ourselves that this is who we truly are a little bit more each and every day.

The act of publishing this Thought feels like a solid first step on the long journey to becoming the Master Sage Builder.

How the hell am I still a beginner?

"I was only 44 years old at the time, so I still had a lot to learn."

That statement is attributed to Bob Iger, the former CEO of Disney (and apparently the CEO again).

"That’s another thing you learn in your 60s..."

That's from Bob's interview with Tim Ferriss. The entire Tim Ferriss interview is amazing and worth a listen. It starts with the Pixar deal when Iger called up Jobs with a "crazy idea" and ended up in a boardroom alone with Steve and a markerboard where Steve torn the idea to absolute shreads. Spoiler alert: Iger still got the deal done. Like a boss.

I don't know very much about him, and there's certainly some criticism against against him, but he's pulled off some wildly impressive things at the helm of Disney. Pixar acquisition. Marvel acquisition. Starwars acquisition. In a world of so many botched M&A deals, he hit 3 grand slam home runs.

Here I am, 37.58 years old, thinking that I'm starting to figure some things out. And Iger is over there with a beginner's mindset in his 60s -- AS THE CEO OF DISNEY.

I very much believe a key element to the path to mastery the beginner's mindset.

I've been practicing yoga multiple times a week for 3 years, and I realize every day how much I have to learn. I've been building tech products for almost a decade, and it's humbling how much I don't know. Hell, today I struggled with properly opening up a milk carton. A few years ago, I realized I was tying my shoes incorrectly.

I appreciate the inspiration from Bob. I can't wait to see how much I'll still have to learn a decade from now.

What is the upgrade?

I would totally crush it if I were Phil Connors in Groundhog Dog.

I'm an optimizer. I see things how they are and want to make micro improvements to make them better.

If I had to live the same day over and over again, sure I'd have to go through the sanity check phase, but then I'd like to think I'm take a similar approach as Bill Murray. Meticulously iterating on every moment of the day until it is fully optimized.

Thankfully (maybe?) I don't re-live the same day over and over again in Punxsutawney, but I am always looking at the best places for optimizing and upgrades. My optimizer had been off line for a bit as the pandemic began, but it's peaking its head out again.

In Atomic Habits, James Clear neatly articulates this optimizer mentality with his graph "The Power of Tiny Gains." If we get 1% better every day for a year, we are over 37 times better than where we started. And if we get 1% worse every day for a year, we are at 3% of where we started. Quite the swing.

Currently, I'm optimizing my morning routine during this "Shelter in Place" phase. Little tweaks and tests here and there and we'll re-find that magic.

Obviously, it's not attainable to actually achieve that 1% gain every day, otherwise I'd be flying and walking through walls by now. But it is a wonderful aspiration. Squeeze the juice out of each and every day in a way that makes Phil Connors proud.

How do I come up with my theme for the year?

At the beginning of 2018, I gave up any form of resolutions and made the decision that picking a theme for the year felt more appropriate for me.

At that point, I decided that 2018 was going to be the Year of Ultimate Alignment.

This came from a belief that there was a lot of internal work for me to do that year. My intention was to re-calibrate my internal compass and strengthen my trust in my own discernment and decision making. I deepened my yoga and meditation practices. I participated in some other-worldly "team building" activities. I spent a lot of time in nature. And I did my best throughout the year to checkin with my own internal guidance system before taking action.

Then there was 2019. Last year was the Year of Surrender.

Whether I truly wanted Surrender to be my theme for the year or not is hard to say. But it was very clear that's what was happening, and I went with it. I surrendered to Surrender being my theme for the year. I left my leadership position in a company I previously believed was an organization and the people I would work with for the rest of my life. I went through a hellacious experience with the people renting my home which became very costly financially, mentally, spiritually and emotional. And ultimately, I spent a lot more time listening, saying no and letting go than I did of actually accomplishing anything. Weirdest year of my life. But it also left room for me to fall in love with an incredible woman in a situation that most people could never understand. In a sense, we both were fully surrendered to what was possible against the odds, and it's been a beautiful adventure ever since.

That brings us to 2020. The start of a new decade.

There's so much pressure to pick the perfect theme for this new year after how on point the last two were. Actually, I'm just messing around. There's no pressure at all.

I'm sitting here with no theme at the moment, and I'm perfectly okay with that.

The beauty of these themes and the reason why they are a year long journey is that they take time to learn, develop and fully integrate. Allowing these themes the proper time that they need breathe and grow feels like putting on a new piece of armor. They become part of my identity and who I am.

And so, even though I don't have a theme for this year on January 4th (gasp!), I fully trust that the theme will reveal itself soon.

Thanks to my Alignment armor I am certain that I will be able to find the exact right theme and say no to everything else. And thanks to my Surrender armor, I don't feel the need or pressure to force something to hit some arbitrary deadline or outcome.

I know that this year's theme will come from me listening deeply, being observant to what life is showing me and rejecting any good themes to leave space for the perfect one to walk into my life.