The Right Place
This week I received two unsolicited calls from headhunters over the same role running a company further east. It would require a move. I couldn’t say “hell-no” loud or fast enough. There are two reasons. One, I love what I do, even though it’s very difficult work. Second, I love where I am, especially at this stage of my life. I found the environment I should have discovered years ago. This is the only place I’m willing to live and work.
I’ve moved from one of the most vibrant tech cities in the US to the Ozark Hills and I couldn’t be happier living here. Some would never do this out of fear of missing out. It’s just the opposite for me. I’m doing my best work here. I’m not missing out, I’m trading opportunities.
Just about every day, I’m surprised by another wild animal I’ve rarely seen up close, and never from my living room windows. I had a bobcat walk in front of my office window just two weeks ago. This week it was an armadillo out on the front lawn. Deer are an almost daily occurrence, and the constant sound of wildlife makes me feel like I’m more connected with the world, just as it should be. I’ve never lived in an environment this quiet in my life. It’s been great for my head, wonderful for work concentration, and fantastic for my overall health. I also hit the pool every day, sometimes twice a day. I’ve never felt more alive.
I keep thinking about how this experience has changed me. If I look at the major milestones that shaped my life, this move has been one of the most transformational. Some of it has to do with the colossal life change from big city to rural acreage. The other has to do with my willingness to drill down into what mattered most. I’m not willing to let the world just carry me and I’m deeply focused on rebuilding Infrrd’s custom software business. I think about it all the time. It captivates my professional interest.
A move like this isn’t for everyone, yet I have a lot of friends who have been stuck for a very long time. I can’t get them to take action, no matter how much I prod. Making major changes to their lives to pursue something better is weighed down with heavy conditions that almost guarantee that change will never happy. They may not be happy, yet they are not unhappy enough to do anything. I refuse to live like that and I think I was doing just that for a bit. I’ve never been that way. I’m always striving towards what can be better.
I recently had a brief encounter with someone who looked down on my decisions in life because I didn’t pick their path. I’d never do that to anyone. We all pick what we think is best for our circumstances. I’m just thrilled I made this decision when I did and that I didn’t wait until I was too old to make it. My only advice, is the biggest regrets most old people have are the risks they never took. Avoid becoming that person. There is something exciting on the other side. We can all rationalize the path we’re on. I can too. Yet, after all this work and a nine month process, it was well worth the work.