Unfortunately, saying thank you seems to be an after thought more and more. So at least once a month, I will take a few minutes to publicly appreciate someone that has had an impact on me.
This round: Andy Bell
Although it has been a few years since I’ve worked directly with Andy, he continues to make me stop and think. During a recent catch-up phone conversation, he simply asked “Are you happy?” My immediate answer was yes and we continued chatting.
Yet later, this question popped back up in my mind. At first, I realized that even though we moved to CO in Dec of 2013, he was the first person to actually ask me this question. Now maybe that’s because it’s fairly evident to anyone that talks with me or reads my social media posts. Yet I appreciate that he asked because I spent the rest of that evening really thinking about why my answer is yes.
I’m happy because I fulfilled a dream of mine to live here. I’m happy because I have a supporting family willing to embark on this adventure together. I’m happy because although I have less face time with people I love and cherish, the connections have remained. I’m happy because we’ve had lots of visitors. I’m happy because there is better weather here. I’m happy because I’m active in an extremely active community. I’m happy because I’m experiencing a whole new set of memories. I’m happy because we are forming new friendships. I’m happy because I keep challenging myself personally and professionally. I’m happy because I am able to make a difference for new people and companies. I’m happy because amazing opportunities are finding me such as the keynote and program chair for Agile 2015. I’m happy because I can be.
So why is this such a big deal? For a very long time, I didn’t describe myself as happy due to a very personal loss. And even though I carry that weight with me every day, I’m happy.
Thanks Andy for making me say it out loud.
Picture from Facebook
