The word rejuvenate is interesting. It is a latin phrase, the prefix, re referring to do something again and the word juvenis which means young. So the word rejuvenate means to make young again. If you look at the word carefully, sure enough, that is exactly what it is. Latin was a simple language. Why did we have to go and make it complicated!? Anyway, we have come to apply rejuvenate to most anything that needs to look new, or be restored back to its original state. I though this was the word that I wanted for today – to rejuvenate. However, not really. To be honest I was not that great when I was a young kid, I think I had my good attributes but reality is that I do not want to go backward. I want to improve upon the original! I do not want to restore, or bring back the original again. I want to become even better!
So what is the word for that!? I want to rise up this morning with a mission to better that the original! However, that does not sound as good. There has to be something. The first word that I uncovered was improvement. However, that does not sound as exciting as rejuvenate. I want to set out this week to make some improvements to my original self! Nah, sounds kind of boring. Then I thought, what about the word, surpass? I want to set out this week to surpass my old self! A little closer, but still does not sound like I am mixing up something exciting like the word rejuvenate does. Then I thought of the word outshine. That has potential. I want to outshine my former self! That has a good connotation, but still looking for a word that captures that emotion. The old self can be better than the young self! What word is that?
Then I thought maybe the word eclipse would do it. I am going to set out this week to eclipse my former self. That sounded like a good mental image, but then I started thinking about dark gray clouds, and a blackened out sun. Eclipse is a good word, but too much associated darkness. Then the word came to me! Transcends! I will be transcendent! The word means to exceed usual limits, lying beyond the limits of normal experience. That sounds perfect! This week I am going to transcend above my normal self!
Guy Reams
