Sunday Notes: Thoughts from the Deep End

A Week of Gratitude

There’s probably nothing I can say about thankfulness that hasn’t already been said—and said more eloquently by someone else. Gratitude has been written about for thousands of years. It’s been preached, sung, whispered in quiet moments, and declared in triumphant ones. And yet, like love, gratitude never seems to wear out. You can give it away freely and continually and never run short. It’s never too early, never too late, and never too often to say “thank you.”

If you’re a parent, you know the feeling when your child genuinely thanks you—not out of obligation, not repeating what you told them to say, but from their heart. In that moment, something in you softens. You feel seen. You feel appreciated. And if you can imagine what that feels like, perhaps it gives you a small sense of how God must feel when we pause long enough to express sincere gratitude.

Now, this isn’t a religious newsletter any more than it is a political one. But both topics are part of life, and from time to time they naturally rise to the surface. So let me ask you a simple question—one I’ve asked myself: How often do you pray? And when you do, how many of those moments are spent asking for something? A need. A blessing. A solution. A change. If you’re like most people, the answer is “almost all of them.”

But prayer can be more than petition. Gratitude doesn’t require a request. It can be as simple as sitting quietly in God’s presence without asking for anything… or even just spending a moment appreciating someone in your life who deserves a thank you. Everyone has someone.

And whether you pray or not, the practice of gratitude is available to you. Think of someone you appreciate. Someone who’s helped you. Someone who’s stood by you, encouraged you, forgiven you, or simply shown up. Think of them—and then tell them. Even if you’ve thanked them before. Gratitude doesn’t spoil; it strengthens.

This week, leading up to Thanksgiving—and for a couple of days after—I’m going to invite you to join me in something simple but powerful. Gratitude doesn’t just change your mood; it changes your day, your relationships, even your direction in life. This is a good week to lean into it.

The Thanksgiving Week Challenge

Begin each morning with two quiet minutes of pure gratitude.

Two minutes without asking for anything.

Two minutes without drifting into goals or worries or unfinished business.

Two minutes to focus entirely on what you already have—your health, your safety, your family, your opportunities, your lessons learned, your friendships, your faith, your freedom.

Two minutes.

Just seven days.

And if you’re willing, carry the habit forward. You spend two minutes every day doing things that bring you no joy whatsoever—scrolling, worrying, checking something for the tenth time. Why not spend two on something that can lift your heart?

Because here’s the little preview for the coming week: each day, we’re going to highlight one thing worth being thankful for—from opportunity, to freedom, to leverage, to tax laws, to the ability to improve real estate in ways you simply can’t improve other assets. Gratitude isn’t a one-day holiday; it’s a posture you can adopt, and it’s amazing what it does to your outlook when you practice it intentionally.

So let’s start today.

Two minutes.

A grateful heart.

And a week filled with reminders of just how much we have to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving Week.

Keep asking, Wisdom pays. I’m rooting for you, and thank you for reading.

Roger

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