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2016: The Year of Gratitude

Well, folks, we've made it another year, and what a year it has been. It simultaneously went by really quickly but also really "slow" in a way, too. Slow in the sense that this was a very big year for me. There is a lot to be grateful for, and given that I think gratitude is a key competency, I think it's only appropriate to spend this Thanksgiving expressing my gratitude for 2016.

THANKFUL FOR MY JOB (PRESENT AND FUTURE)

While it's certainly no secret, I have not shared via any social channel yet that I will be transitioning jobs shortly. I purposefully steer clear of talking about talking about my job on these blogs because I respect the sensitivity of the actual content of my work, but I still want to express my gratitude for my job as a whole.

I've been a contracted associate for four and a half years, and I have grown a ton. I started as a traditional business analyst and end this role as a scrum master. The folks within this area have been super great in my time here. We've shared a lot of headaches together as well as a lot of laughs. I could not have asked for a better environment to nurture my skills, and the experiences here have no doubt helped to shape me into the person I am today.

Beginning December 5, I'll be joining State Farm as a business architect and am absolutely thrilled for this amazing opportunity. It is extremely humbling to have been recognized as a good fit for this position given my relative brevity in the workforce. I am proud that my hard work has paid off, and that is largely the result of my experiences in my current position. For my coworkers reading this, thank you. I can never stop being grateful for you all.

THANKFUL FOR HAVING BEEN A CONTRACTED ASSOCIATE (AND THANKFUL FOR TEKSYSTEMS)

I'll be honest: contracted work is not for everybody, especially not recent college grads. Contract renewal is largely hinged on performance, and if any organization finds that a contracted associate isn't meeting their expectations, they are well within their rights to let that person go. For a college grad with very little "real world" experience, this meant I had to stay on top of my game at all times. This forced me to continually push myself to be better, which meant getting my Masters degree, getting all my certifications, and losing weight.

If you asked me two years ago if I was necessarily happy about this, the answer probably would have been no. Pushing myself to get the things like my certifications weren't easy. (For my fellow PMPs, you know what that test is like!) But in retrospect, I am extremely grateful. If I was in a position that wasn't hinged on contract renewal, I honestly don't know if I would have pushed myself the way I did. It's almost weird to say now that I am grateful that I began my career as a contracted associate.

Moreover, I am super grateful to TEKsystems. Having been a former COUNTRY Financial intern, I knew nothing of the contract world and pretty much stumbled backward into TEKsystems. They were (and have always been) wonderful to work with. The best demonstration of this is when I passed out at work earlier this year. Everybody was quick to reach out and accommodate me in that difficult time. If I were to do the contracting thing all over again, there is no doubt I would go back to TEKsystems. To my TEK folks reading this, thank you all for these years.

THANKFUL FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS I BECOME A NEW DAD

It's a very exciting time as my wife and I will be welcoming a baby girl into our family next month, and I am so grateful for how awesome all our family and friends have been during this time. By the time the baby is born, my wife will have been thrown four different baby showers. Each baby shower has been very well done, and our baby girl has received an abundance of gifts. It is a great relief to know that our little one will be supported by a loving network of people. Thank you to all who have been so supportive.

 THANKFUL FOR MY WIFE

 My wife is a saint. She has helped carry me through the good times and really bad times. She is super kind even when I'm grumpy, and she's always willing to help in any way she can. I am grateful for how hard a worker she is. I like to joke that any time I post a picture of her and me on Instagram that it instantly gets 5x the likes. It's really no wonder why: people love her. She is so good to everybody, especially to me. I love her and am forever grateful to have her at my side.

THANKFUL FOR MY FATHER IN HEAVEN

My faith has undoubtedly been a rocky journey. I am a fickle individual that tends to wrongfully get mad at the Lord for seemingly not answering prayer, but I am humbled by the fact that I have been wrong. The Lord has heard, and the Lord has provided. My job is a reflection of that. My wife, family, and friends are reflections of that. Even this blog is a reflection of that. Undoubtedly, I would not be the person I am today without the wisdom of my Father, and to that, I am forever grateful.
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