Just Wanted to Say Thanks

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Mr. Feeny

There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t think of how grateful I am for things in my life. I know it can be tough to appreciate things when life isn’t going the way you want, but it definitely helps to take a step back and reflect. I recently tweeted my 5 ways to living a happier life:

  1. Be grateful
  2. Challenge yourself
  3. Laugh
  4. Stop comparing yourself to others
  5. Respect/help others

With Thanksgiving coming up, it is a time to look back on your past year or your entire life to appreciate the small and large things in your life. There’s always something. Here are things I am grateful for over the last year:

Life. I am grateful to be able to breathe and enjoy life.

My wife. Honestly she is one of the hardest working people I know and she goes the extra mile to make sure I am happy in life. She pushes me to be a better person and supports most of my decisions. After being apart for 8 years, I appreciate everyday I come home to her.

Family. I am thankful to be living closer to my family now so I can be a part of my nieces lives as they grow up and have my family’s support or support them if needed. Whether a family member is still here on Earth or have gone, every member of my immediate and extended family has had a genuine impact on my life.

My brother, Brad Frost. Without him I probably would be working some shitty job that I didn’t enjoy. Thankful to be able to work with him and enjoy it, whether it is building websites, design systems, or workbenches.

Friends. You guys inspire me everyday, whether you are getting your PhD or successfully trudge your way through a rough patch in your life. Keep the positive attitude and always do the right thing.

Travel. I am grateful to have visited some amazing places over the past year. I took a road trip with my wife from LA to Seattle in 8 days, visiting a bunch of breathtaking national parks along the way. I got to go to the Outer Banks with my family. Seeing the world makes you a better person.

Work that I enjoy. I moved to Pittsburgh 3 days before my wedding 2 summers ago, scared shitless that I wouldn’t find a good job. It has been quite the transition from meteorology to web design, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. It’s pretty awesome to say you’ve built a website with a client in the center of Times Square and that you’ve helped build a design system for one of the largest companies in the world after such a short time in the field.

Basic needs. I have an apartment, food, clothes, and a mode of transportation. Some people aren’t so lucky. After getting back from San Francisco recently, it was sad seeing how many people don’t have these basic things.

Education. You never stop learning. I am thankful to have gone to college for a subject I loved. I am thankful for the books I have read that have helped me transition from meteorology to web design.

Failure. Weird to be thankful for it, but failing in life has allowed me to become a harder working individual.

Open mind. I am happy that I am laid back and respect someone for who they are as long as they respect me. With the recent escalation of hate, I am happy to be raised in a manner where race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and disability do not make a person any less important.

Ability to listen well. I suck at talking. I mumble and take a while to spit out a story. But I am a good listener. If you try to teach me something, I will likely listen hard. If you have an opinion different than mine I’ll listen. If you are struggling with something, I’ll listen and try to help.

To these web people who have taught me a lot about web and life this year:

  • Dan Mall – Friend, coworker, and smart dude. Honestly privileged to have worked with you and hope to continue to work with you. Thanks for putting up with me.
  • Josh Clark – Friend, coworker, and smart dude. Privileged to have worked with you and hope to continue to work with you. Thanks for putting up with me.
  • Matt D. Smith – Friend, coworker, another smart dude. Privileged to have worked with you and hope to work with you again. Thanks for working with me.
  • Dave Olsen – Friend and collaborator on Pattern Lab 2 (PL PHP guy). One of the nicest guys who seems to enjoy hiking as much as I do. Thanks for being a good and helpful dude.
  • Brian Muenzenmeyer – Friend and collaborator on Pattern Lab 2 (PL Node.js guy). Super nice and bright guy. Just don’t ask him where he’s from. Thanks for your help and being a cool guy.
  • To all authors of books/articles I have read about the web, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
  • To all speakers at conferences I have gone to, thank you for your web and life lessons. I learned a lot from you. I have written about those speakers here at Web Design Day and An Event Apart San Francisco.