A Bigger Pond

I have been in Dallas for almost two months now.

I love this place.

A statue near the entrance of the Dallas Museum of Art in downtown Dallas.

A newly constructed skyscraper in downtown Dallas, near the American Airlines Arena.

Moving was a great decision.

The weeks flew by – work is busy as ever, the consulting gigs are starting to come in, and I’ve even started going on dates.

It was not easy giving away most of my belongings and leaving my friends, coworkers, and professional network.

I was very comfortable in Minnesota, but I knew that I could do achieve more in a bigger place.

Living in Dallas makes me realize how provincial Minnesota is.

There’s exponentially more culture, diversity, and professional growth opportunities here.

My only regret about moving to Dallas is that I didn’t do it sooner.

Career advice from Professor Brene Brown

Navigating the Bigger Pond

And it’s not as if I’m shouting “I’ve made it!” from the rooftops – quite to the contrary – there are thousands of people in Dallas who are around my age and far more accomplished.

I feel like the valedictorian from a rural high school who gets to college and  realizes that he is thoroughly mediocre.

A city this big doesn’t allow me to have any delusions of self-grandeur, and forces me to work harder. I’m grateful for that.

My move reminds me of something professor Brene Brown said on the Tim Ferris Show about her own career path.

Brene spoke about the importance of vulnerability and taking risks to improve your career and personal life:
“I used to think, I’m going to engineer this career to be small and safe. I’m going to play right under the radar because I’m not willing to put myself out there and be criticized. The problem with staying small is that it is always served up with resentment and pissed-offedness. Because we are not using of gifts, we are not in our power, and there’s always a price for that.”
She also said, “The only guarantee of entering the arena is that you’re going to get your ass kicked,” so we’ll see how this goes.