Hello, World!

Thistle & Lime consulting is a company, an idea, a shared project and a perhaps a great many other things that we are yet to discover. In no small part, ambitious and challenging projects are made up of the stories of individuals and their personal journeys. So, I asked myself what is my story and what is it really that I want to achieve? In thinking and trying to answer this question, I encountered this very peculiar concept – a “Hello, World!” program. To those who deal in programming languages this is perhaps known and quite simple – a very basic initial test that demonstrates the basic syntax of a programming language and can serve as a sanity test.

I am no software engineer or developer, but I was struck by the elegance and simplicity of this idea and phrase. It resonated deeply with me, because creating anything new, exciting and greater than oneself, very much begins with standing in front of the world and saying hello. It is the first step, the necessary announcement, and what has been my greatest failure. Ever fearful and doubtful of myself and what I can truly achieve, I spent many hours pondering and trying to carefully intellectualise every aspect of every move that I should take in order to be successful. Unsurprisingly, those efforts and no small investment of time produced very little. How could it be otherwise, if I had not been brave enough and level headed enough to realise that any great journey, however complex, challenging and exciting, must – more than anything – simply begin!
And there is nothing wrong with a modest beginning… a hello. More than that, it has to be this way – before you realise any potential or actualise any remarkable feat, you have to take a step out your door, announce yourself to the world and be seen.

It stems naturally that this very act is also called a sanity test. I am confident in speculating (and our history is rich in examples) that most meaningful and lasting ideas start as near insanity – at least at first glance. Maybe it has to be so, since our imagination and capability for reaching beyond the ordinary and the visible is what has driven the world forward for millennia. It feels poetic and strangely accurate to me, to consider our ability to present and communicate ourselves to others as a test for one’s sanity. After all, what is a good idea if there is no one to understand and appreciate it?

So here I am, back at the question that prompted me to be a part of Thistle & Lime Consulting and by extension, to writing this text for all the world to see (as I imagine in my delusions of grandeur). I do not know what this adventure will bring. There are no definitive answers and I will not give out false promises, neither to myself or to any reader. I am ready however to stand behind my convictions, experience, knowledge and readiness for deeply productive, valuable and mutually beneficial relationships with partners and clients. In essence, I realised that being the author of a story, even your own (perhaps most importantly your own), does not mean that you plan everything out and you know where you are going… it means to take the first step and walk forward with the strength and values of your character.

There is more to come and much to talk about. My hope is to discover my own potential and become more than I am now and in doing so, help others to do the same. Thank you, for reading this and I hope these reflections were interesting and thoughtful enough to keep your attention. Regardless, there is only one thing left to say… Hello, World!

Emil Lazov