Should I Stay or Should I Grow?
Photography by Jasmin Huitzil Photography
The past ten months have brought about some of the most significant change in my life. At 41, I’m reminded of the preface to Chuck Tate’s book: 41 Will Come: Holding On When Life Gets Tough — and Standing Strong Until a New Day Dawns
A bold declaration of faith, 41 Will Come is a shot of encouragement and hope for all of us who desperately need to hear: God is with you. Your story is not over. You are not defeated.
In the Bible, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. 41 came and the rain stopped. The people of Israel wandered the wilderness for 40 years. 41 came and a new generation entered their Promised Land. For 40 days Goliath bullied Israel and taunted anyone to fight him. 41 came and David slew Goliath.
Do you see the theme? Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Perhaps you’re stuck in a downpour or lost in one of life’s deserts. Maybe you’re facing someone or something that could take you down. You might feel stuck on your journey . . . but day 41 is on its way.
Around dinner time on the evening of July 7th, my phone buzzed with an notification from my good friend and mind coach Nick Goodin. The message contained a link to the following podcast…
Beyond High Performance: Bonus Episode: Embrace Growth, with Jason Jaggard on Apple Podcasts
Bonus Episode: Jason Jaggard takes us back to the main stage at the 2018 Story conference in Nashville, Tennessee…
podcasts.apple.com
…and it was wrapped with the following notes — “I was thinking about you this morning when I heard this podcast.” “It speaks right to where you are right now.”
You see, at the time, only Nick and a few people in my close circle knew I was in the midst of the final interview process for a new role that could relocate me back to Frisco, Texas. I was one of two finalists for a position at the crossroads of innovation and economic development and was already prepping myself for the possibility of a new chapter of my career.
With the finalization of the process quickly approaching, several lines from the podcast grabbed my attention and stopped me in my tracks; validating everything that seemed to be falling into place.
In particular, one statement kept replaying over and over in my mind:
“It’s not about whether you should stay or whether you should go. It’s about whether you should stay or whether you should grow.”
For anyone that knows me, I’ve always preached the value of personal development and a strong belief of not settling for mediocrity or accepting the status quo. This quote and the entire podcast challenged me, causing me to reflect and ask myself: “Am I practicing what I preach when it comes to being happy and fulfilled with where I’m at both personally and professionally?”
The answer was a quick and easy no…on multiple fronts.
After some internal reflection, I knew that rather than being challenged and growing, I was being depleted and drained of energy; finding myself struggling to grow for a myriad of reasons.
As I digested and processed a series of impactful lines from the podcast and applied them to where I was in my journey, I knew that if I was offered the position in Frisco it was time to grow in a new location and spread my wings outside of Peoria.
“Sometimes you have to leave. Not because you’re not going to get what you want if you stay; but because your story has to be told someplace else.” — Don Hahn
As fate would have it, I didn’t end up getting offered the position after a nearly four month interview process (neither of the candidates did). However, in the midst of disappointment a last minute summer vacation to Texas for the kids and my participation in Dallas Startup Week, the doors were flung wide open for countless opportunities in and across the DFW region.
So, just a little over 3 weeks ago I was faced with a decision to make: remain in Peoria and continue to battle for personal and professional growth in an environment that is mostly satisfied with complacency and the status quo, or step out in faith and into an environment and market where I would not only be challenged, but valued for playing big and striving to make an impact.
Ultimately, after discussing it my kids, my immediate family, and those in my close circle, the decision to grow became crystal clear. So, we packed up a moving truck on Saturday, drove 12.5 hours south on Sunday, and relocated to Texas on Monday, August 9th.
What happens next is yet to be determined, but in just these past few weeks I have focused my mind and spirit on living in the present, pursuing growth, and starting to put my needs first after years of caring for others. While that may seem selfish to some, it is the path to a life of rhythm and one in which I can control my destiny instead of relying on others for my happiness.
It is my hope over the coming weeks and months to unpack more of what I am learning throughout my journey including my recent trip to Arizona for an experience called Apex, two impactful books from Vex King, and countless conversations and wisdom imparted on me from those whom I respect and admire.
I plan to share these thoughts not with the intent to complain about the hand I’ve been dealt or the litany of choices that I’ve made to get me to this point; but to educate others so that they may avoid the same pitfalls as they navigate their own journey — whether in Peoria, or anywhere else their path of life takes them.
Until Next Time…