Letting Go of the Old and Changing

It’s been about a year since I left my position at the University of Miami and moved to Nova Southeastern University. I had worked at Miami, first as a resident and then as a faculty member, since 1992. The situation there became increasingly difficult for me, and after a particularly unpleasant meeting, I decided to resign.

There are times in your life when you know, whatever the risk, that you have to walk away from a bad situation.

I know it sounds trite, but it’s true: It was the best decision of my life. I spent the next several months working on developing my design and consulting company. Then, after some time, I had the opportunity to interview for a position at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale. I accepted it.

There have been many up and downs because of the change. When I think about the change and what it has meant to how I think about myself, I know it was the right thing. It was a movement toward freedom.

And this makes me think about the elements of brain fitness. One of the most important is change or novelty. I’m dealing with new problems with new people in new situations. It sounds like a brain fitness program. I can’t always recommend changing jobs as a means to enhance your brain fitness, but I wonder if staying in any one situation in your life too long may not support making the changes you need. Changes you need not only to move on in your life and career, but also to challenge your brain to cope with new situations, people, and problems.