Radical Change Eminent

Sometimes in life you must make a radical change. Quit your job, leave your lover, sell all your belongings, move to a new city. Sometimes you take a wrong turn in life and you need an exodus, a new beginning, a new adventure.

I am at such a crossroads.

Since graduating with my MBA 1 1/2 years ago I have moved to Boulder, started working at a well known start-up company, and slowly worked to get settled down and ‘find my way’. I have been in Boulder for over a year now and overall the time here has helped me pay off debt and, well, get quite drunk, but in the big picture of my life it has done little else.

I had big hopes for Boulder. After graduating with my MBA, I thought I was going to a start-up epicenter that would facilitate creating great products and services and be surrounded by great, open, kind minds.  I thought I would instantly be able to make a change in an organization with the knowledge I obtained while at school.  Besides a few very close friendships I have been lucky to create, I have found Boulder to be a much different place than the “green pastures” I originally envisioned.

Boulderites can be ego-centric and entitled.  They can have an air of superiority brought on by privilege (or the need to project such airs) and can be quite myopic in their view of the world.  Many believe they have all the answers and people who know me understand this is not a positive environment for someone like me.  It continuously brings me to a point of frustration and unhappiness.

And don’t get me started on dating here…

But all that aside, sometimes we find ourselves in a place that just isn’t working for us and it begins to magnify our unhappiness in every aspect of our life. We begin to look at our lives and see the universe of things wrong with what we’re doing, where we’re working, how we’re thinking, who we’re surrounding ourselves with, etc. And in this we realize how short, how fucking short life is, and we know we must make a massive change to ‘right our ship’.

Some quietly bow out in the night, hoping the next place alleviates at least one aspect of our problems, but soon they will find other exacerbated, and new ones arise.

True change takes bravery.

“[Everyday ask] ‘Am I doing the most important thing I could be doing'” — Mark Zuckerberg

If days or weeks go buy and you cannot answer yes to the above question, it’s time to make a change.

When life has gotten terrible, you MUST make a change. As I said before, LIFE IS TOO FUCKING SHORT. Either you choose your life or you let others choose it for you.

And here is where fear rears its ugly head.
“What will people think?”
“Will they think I’m weird?”
“Will I be ok?”
“Will I die?”
“Will I be poor?”

The time of change is weaved into every moment, every decision, and every movement we make. The gift of our own self control is always at our fingertips. You just have to be brave.

So, step out of the muck, clear the clouds, determine your path, and start moving in the right direction. Begin building the life you choose.

Tips for change:

• Don’t burn bridges. Bow out gracefully and quietly.
• Tell people how you feel about them.  It can be a learning experience for both of you.
• Be brave.  The world is an inviting and loving place.

And who knows.  Maybe I’ll find the answers I’m looking for, maybe I won’t.  Maybe I’ll move to Thailand.  Maybe I’ll miss Boulder and find a better harmony with it and my dreams.  The possibilities are endless and I’m excited to see where I land.

With deepest love,

ZZ