A debate is raging in the news here in Arizona over Scottsdale's installation of photo-radar cameras on a stretch of the Loop 101 highway, and it got me to thinking about negativity and why I'm so much happier since moving out of Scottsdale, and why I'd never live there again.
When I came to Arizona in 2000 I moved to north Scottsdale because everyone told me it was THE place to be. I quickly learned that Scottsdale is full of the stereotypical "UAW" profiled in The Millionaire Next Door. If you haven't read the book, UAWs are people who look rich on the surface, but in reality are buried in debt and have no money in the bank. I lived in Scottsdale's "affluent" 85255 area and witnessed the neighbors' BMWs getting repo'ed on a weekly basis. In fact, I've met several millionaires since moving here. None of them live in Scottsdale, nor would they ever.
Knowing that I wanted no part of that, I moved to Phoenix in 2002 and have been thrilled with my decision. People in Phoenix - especially in the Arcadia neighborhood where I now live - are very friendly, happy-go-lucky, and are positive and upbeat. By contrast, Scottsdale people, for the most part, are an angry lot. They're rude, unfriendly, don't say hi in public, and get a sick thrill out of cutting you off on the road. Hey, I would too if the repo man was pounding on my door every day. (My apologies if you happen to live in Scottsdale and are not one of the angry phonies. Move to Phoenix, you'll thank me for it later.)
Now for the point of this rant: What happened when I moved out of negative Scottsdale and into positive Phoenix was amazing. I immediately became a lot happier, more outgoing, and friendlier. My career also took a turn for the better. My sales production went way up, and I got the inspiration to write my first book, a decision which I obviously am thankful for. I'm fairly certain this would not have happened had I continued to live in negative Scottsdale, where I was frequently sad and depressed all because of how mean everyone was all the time. Changing my surroundings - and the people in them - was possibly the best decision I've ever made.
Consider where you are now in your career and life and if it's where you'd like to be. If not, are your surroundings causing a negative impact? Are the people around you bringing you down and bumming you out? If so, a change may be just what the doctor ordered.