Monday Meditations - Gratitude

Thanksgiving turns gratitude into a seasonal activity. Something we remember once a year while juggling travel, family, and familiar dishes.

But over time, and especially as a parent, I have learned how easy it is to move through life without noticing what is already good. Kids mirror your pace and your presence. When I slow down, even briefly, I can actually see what is steady in my life rather than what is chaotic.

Venture makes this even harder. There are long stretches where outcomes are unclear, where you are waiting on a founder update, a financing, or a market signal that feels overdue. The highs come fast and the lows sit with you longer than you want.

When something breaks, a plan slips, or a company hits a rough patch, the instinct is to narrow your focus and obsess over what went wrong. Gratitude does the opposite. It opens the frame. It reminds me of what is still solid, who is still with me, and where the momentum still exists.

And when things are going well, gratitude keeps me centered. It allows me to enjoy the wins without letting them distort reality or convince me that the work is finished. It protects focus. It keeps ambition honest.

Most people treat gratitude as a holiday exercise. I have learned it works better as a daily anchor. It gives shape and stability to the uneven parts of the job and the even more uneven parts of life.

This week is the reminder. Every other week is the practice.

Happy Monday, and Happy Thanksgiving.