Fear of change

posted in: Stuff

So here we are, getting ready to move to a new city. The usual boxing of all the old stuff and the review of what stays and what goes… time for a complete cleansing. Time to see all the stuff we have accumulated over the years and audit our past decisions.

A picture from a road in La Mancha, Spain
The road ahead

We are about a month away from the move and this boxing game has already taken most of our space, the apartment is a mess. Its all for good, we are moving to a bigger space in a better, quieter, safer and kid friendly area. But as in every change, the fear of the unknown is quite palpable. Leaving all the connections and all the work we have done these past years, a question keeps popping in my head… are we doing the right thing?

Since we moved from Mexico to Canada we have not experienced such a thrill and such fears. With this new change, we (my wife and I) have found ourselves taking a strong look at our lives. We want to keep going in the paths we have chosen, but just as Steve Jobs said in his already insanely famous Stanford Commencement Address (see it here in case you haven’t), it is impossible to connect the dots looking forward. We trust that the dots will connect in the future.

So many things have happened in these past 5 years since we moved to a new country. I have been with two presidents (very, very recently with Felipe Calderon, president of Mexico), have met with 3 mayors of different cities and countries (and in their cities), have worked with dozens of brilliant business people from all over the world, have traveled to very cool and interesting places for business and have had the opportunity to have a great impact in so many people’s lives, but most importantly, I have learned.

In our lives, we have started many businesses and most have been a great learning experience. In coming to Toronto, we learned about the world, the people who live in it and the many different cultures. I studied a new career (which doesn’t get used much, but always wanted to do it, so it is a check in my list) and sharpened my skills in business, marketing and the internet. I have grown along my beautiful wife and our wonderful children (our version of Yakko, Wakko and Dot).

Animaniacs logo, featuring Yakko, Wakko and Dot
Image via Wikipedia

As we head towards a new life, the first signs of a line become visible(a bunch of connected dots). We are not leaving the old, we are taking it with us and building upon it. Cualli Ohtli has been a brief and interesting experience and we will continue to develop it. As this move happens and in the coming months, our business focus will focus even more, my skills will become even more specialized. This is what we have realized in the last weeks, as we have been in contact with the new city and the new business opportunities. It still is a work in progress, but it seems already a very clear and unavoidable path.

It is hard to see it while things are happening, to me, most of it has been learning while trying to support the family. But I can begin to see it now, the things lived and the skills learned are now tools that will come  in very handy in our new adventures.

Change is scary, but it is good and necessary. If you ever find yourself stuck in the same place, doing the same thing over and over and feeling tired and unhappy, maybe its time you do a clean up, a review or a big change and see were life will take you. Its ok to be afraid.

Are you in a similar stage in your life? Do you have faith that the dots will one day connect? How have the dots connected before in your life?