The end of one chapter and the start of a new one
New beginnings, embracing uncertainty, and building a company I can feel good about.
Yesterday I closed one of the biggest chapters in my life and career and started making the first few entries in a new chapter. After contracting with Mozilla full-time for nearly 12 years, I ended my contract to focus all my energy on building Mechanical Ink.
I know in which direction I want to steer Mechanical Ink and have some idea of how I will get to where I am going, but in between those two points in time is a lot of fear, uncertainty, excitement, and long-held dreams.
As with all of life, the journey is as important as the destination, so I fully embrace all the emotions. As Seth Godin says, I must learn to dance with the fear. As the Buddha invited Mara for tea, I must invite these emotions and learn to use them as a driving force, not a ball and chain.
I am grateful and overwhelmed (in a good way) by all the words of encouragement and support I have already received, and I will share my journey as I build in public. As I have said before, I am not naive and know that I cannot change the world by myself, but perhaps I can act as a catalyst for change. The chance for enacting change grows with each person doing their part.
For me, building a company and doing work that is an example of what I would like to see more of in the world is the best way to do my part.
Image credit: Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash