For us, we’ve got kids that are another year older, and we also have some loved ones who won’t be around the table this year. It’s interesting how a day focused on giving thanks for what we have can also highlight the things (and people) we don’t.Depression. Discouragement. Loneliness. Disconnection. Thanksgiving can highlight all of these. The gatherings, the family photos, the seemingly perfect social media posts—they can feel like a stark reminder of what's missing in our lives. Guess what? These feelings aren’t limited to you. In fact, even great biblical figures like David wrestled with despair, at one point asking, "Why are you cast down, O my soul?"

The antidote is gratitude.

Gratitude isn't about pretending everything is perfect. It's about finding light in the darkness.

When loneliness or discouragement threatens to overwhelm us, gratitude becomes a powerful counterforce. It's not a magical cure, but a deliberate practice of shifting our focus. Here are three practical ways to cultivate gratitude when despair feels closest:

1. Quiet the Noise of Negativity: Limit exposure to sources that drain your spirit. This might mean unfollowing social media accounts that trigger comparison, or setting boundaries with relationships that consistently leave you feeling worse.
2. Embrace Small Moments of Appreciation: Gratitude lives in the details. It's the warmth of morning coffee. The kindness of a stranger. A text from a friend. A hug from a family member. These moments are always present, even when joy feels distant. Don’t overlook them.
3. Create a Gratitude Ritual: Start small. Each day, write down three things you're thankful for—even if they seem insignificant. Some days, "I made it" is enough of an accomplishment. When you keep a memory bank, you can visit when you need a withdrawal.

Gratitude helps us not take things for granted, it reminds us that connection exists, that beauty persists, and that hope is not lost.

This week, be grateful for the things you typically take for granted. American journalist Germany Kent famously said, “It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” In other words, when you appreciate what you have, you forget what you don’t.

Mike Linch posed a compelling question:

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"Why is it important for leaders to stay faithful in the small things?"

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The answer to this question doesn’t just apply to leadership, it applies to all aspects of life.

In fact, during a recent conversation with a friend who had just closed a significant business deal, I asked what he'd done differently the week leading up to the sale. His response was telling: "To be honest, I didn’t do anything different last week. But in the weeks before, I was intentional about my daily activity. Last week, I just reaped the benefits."

Dr. Ike Reighard once said, "Great doors of opportunity swing on the tiny hinges of obedience." This profound truth applies to every aspect of leadership – both professional and personal.

Consider these examples:

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• The opportunity for a big sale starts with consistently pursuing a client.
• The opportunity for your team to succeed starts with creating systems and structures to enable progress.
• The opportunity for an online purchase is created by intentionally investing in a user-friendly experience.
• The company culture you want to build begins by fostering the right environment before people walk through the door.
• The fully committed church member develops through small groups and plugging into other activities.
• The successful nonprofit makes a huge impact by consistently connecting with donors and providing strategic training for volunteers.

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And the same is true in our personal lives too:

• The opportunity for deep friendship develops through regular, meaningful conversations.
• The opportunity for a thriving relationship with your spouse starts with daily acts of love and presence.
• The opportunity for a strong bond with your children grows through consistent, engaged moments.

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Here's what many leaders miss: The payoff rarely comes at the moment of investment. Leadership requires the patience to keep investing when results aren't yet visible. The wise leader recognizes that today's small actions create tomorrow's big opportunities.

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The opportunity you seek tomorrow is created by your disciplined investment today.

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This principle transcends industry and position. Whether you're leading a startup, managing a department, building a nonprofit, or nurturing your family, your success requires dedication to mundane daily actions.

I encourage you to identify the "tiny hinges" in both your leadership role and personal life. What small, consistent actions could swing open doors of opportunity for your team? What daily disciplines, if maintained, could transform your organization's future? What tiny investments could strengthen your most important relationships?

Remember: Those big doors of opportunity don't swing open by accident.

Less striving. Less pushing. Check the ambition.

Because people who are content are happier, aren’t they?

I’ve heard contentment described this way: the knowledge that things are OK exactly as they are, right now.

Ahhh- but that’s where the problem comes in. I don’t think that things are ok exactly as they are. And the older I get, the more I think that’s ok too.

I’m suggesting another way: A healthy discontent. When put in the proper perspective, I believe the right kind of angst can be one of the greatest forces for good in this world. It's that nagging feeling that something is not quite right - that the status quo is falling short and that we were made for more.

• Martin Luther King, Jr. felt compelled to speak up for civil rights, knowing deep down that we should be judged, not on the color of our skin, but on the content of our character.
• Doug Deitz, a renowned designer at GE, found himself discontent with the cold, intimidating MRI machines he had helped create. They were causing fear in sick children. So he designed the warm, inviting GE Adventure Series to transform the healthcare experience for young patients.
• Even Sara Blakely, as a fax machine saleswoman, felt frustrated with the existing offerings in women’s clothing. So she created Spanx to transform the industry through innovative products that give confidence to women everywhere.

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If we're completely content, it likely means one of two things: either the world is perfect (which we know is not the case) or we've resigned ourselves to the way things are. As C.S. Lewis so eloquently stated, "If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."

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True, lasting contentment is hard to come by. I'll admit, when I look back on the early years of building ADDO, I wasn't nearly as content as I should have been. I was always hyper-focused on what could be better, on the next horizon. I didn’t enjoy the incremental wins and milestones because I was so fixated on the future.

Contentment requires two key things: the right perspective and a heart of gratitude. We need to anchor ourselves in something greater than ourselves - whether that's our faith, a noble cause, or a vision for a better tomorrow. And we must cultivate gratitude for what we have, rather than dwelling on what we lack.

But we must be careful not to mistake contentment for complacency.

Complacency is when we lose our drive to improve, when we become apathetic about getting better. I challenge you to lean into that healthy discontent. Use it as fuel to make the world a better place. But don't let it consume you or rob you of the ability to be present and grateful. Find that sweet spot between striving and apathy, where positive change can thrive.

I share how ADDO exists to inspire people today to impact tomorrow. And then I’ll talk about the way we help build brands from the inside out.

That is usually followed by: “Ohhh, so you’re a consulting firm?” And I absolutely hate that.

No offense to my consulting friends, but there are some stereotypes that go along with that industry. Sure, they are smart and strategic, but there are some negative perceptions as well. Some of which are well warranted.

This term isn’t limited to big business. There are also church consultants, non-profit consultants, education consultants, and many more.

I’m not anti-consultant, but I do believe there are some fatal flaws in many consulting engagements. If you're a leader looking to drive real, sustainable change, pay close attention to avoid these four pitfalls.

‍1. Fixated on Focus Groups:

‍If your only ideas come from focus groups, you don’t have any original ideas. Look, I get it - you want to understand your audience. Here’s a secret: people may know their problems, but they seldomly know the best solution. They can tell you what’s not working, but that doesn’t mean they know the best way to fix it. As Steve Jobs once said, "If Henry Ford had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Focus groups might give you a laundry list of issues, but they'll never give you the best results.

‍2. Inflexible Methods:

“This is the way we have to do it.” No it’s not. That’s just the way you’ve been told you have to do it. My team knows one of my least favorite reasonings for why we should do something is simply because "that's how we've always done it." We should be stubborn about our goals but flexible about our methods. Guess what - the world is changing fast, and if you can't adapt your methods to meet the moment, you're dead in the water.

‍3.  Too Far from the Customer:

‍Last week, I ordered my son a Happy Meal at McDonald’s. The app wouldn't let me add cheese to the hamburger. I either had to forego using the app, or order the burger without cheese– which wouldn’t fly with my 6 year old! I shared my frustration with one of my friends who is a leader within that business. Remarkably, within a couple of days, he had solved the issue and created the customizability on the app for hundreds of restaurants in my area. But the average consultant, bless their hearts, is not the end consumer. In fact, they usually aren’t close enough to know the true issues.

If you want to solve real problems, get closer to the people experiencing them.

‍4. Focused on the Wrong Things:

‍Have you ever been pulled into an hours-long meeting on something seemingly insignificant? It can be easy to think that a 4 hour meeting about the font you should use is a good use of your time. But let me ask you this - does that meeting bring you any closer to producing the right product or service for your customers? Sometimes, we get so caught up in the little details that we lose sight of the big picture. Many spend more time building the powerpoint presentation than they do innovating new ideas. Look, it doesn’t matter if you are a consultant, you hire consultants, or you don’t care about consulting– anyone, anywhere can fall into the trap of these four things listed above. Difference makers must be willing to do things differently. Ditch the focus groups, stay flexible, get closer to your customers, and keep your eye on the prize. When you do that, you’re far more likely to change the world.

I worked hard to overcome my natural bias to go straight to the negative. Instead, I told him how great it was that he was excelling in so many areas.

This isn’t an “everyone gets a trophy” approach. It’s a carefully crafted strategy to find positive areas so that we can get more of those results.

The same is true when we are leading teams. Most of us spend a lot of time working to understand and learn from failure. We talk a great deal about learning from our mistakes and come to some familiar conclusions:

We often learn the most from our failures. Failures are not final or fatal. When you fail, that’s how you learn. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

These are all true. We can certainly learn great lessons from failure.

But sometimes we put so much emphasis on failure that we forget to study success.

Have you ever done something well, but when asked how you were successful, you didn’t know?

If you don’t know why something is going well when it’s going well, you won’t know how to fix it if it breaks.

At ADDO our failures have been great catalysts to help us learn and grow. We look for things that are broken and try to improve areas of weakness. Recently, however, we’ve started working to also pinpoint and learn from the things we’re doing well.

We are serious about surveying and analyzing our customer satisfaction. In one program with more than 30,000 participants, we experienced a drop in satisfaction. Our team identified problems, created a plan, and made consistent and conscious decisions to get better. As a result, our customer satisfaction rebounded.

Instead of moving on to another area, our team spent time and energy studying what specifically led to this increase in satisfaction. We understand that if we can clearly identify which decisions, actions, and behaviors are driving positive results, then we have a greater chance to replicate them in the future or course-correct if things go wrong.

Identify areas where you can study and replicate success.

Talent: How did you attract the individuals who are now your most valuable team members and employees?

Sales: What did you do differently that helped you make the sale with the stubborn client?

Hospitality: How did you encourage your team to keep intentionally serving customers?

Management: How do you facilitate your most productive meetings?

When you are successful, evaluate your actions. Think about what you’re doing differently when you succeed instead of fixating on why or how you’ve failed. Determine the actions and decisions that lead to positive outcomes, and replicate them in all areas of your life. You’ll find that you can solve problems more widely and efficiently, while pursuing a lifestyle that is proactive toward success rather than reactive to failure.

The TV commercial proclaims the announcement: New and Improved!

The LinkedIn notification lets us know about our contact who moved to a different company.

The latest product grabs the attention at the annual company meeting.

Today, we live in a society that celebrates the latest and greatest. The new product or the latest trend tends to garner the headlines. And, let me be clear, as an entrepreneur I get excited when something is new. I love to see an exciting startup, a brand new venture, and the bold innovations. However, the older I get, the more impressed I am by the individuals, the leaders, and the companies who stay consistent over the long haul. I bet you can think of people like that right now. They show up, day after day, week after week, year after year. They may not be flashy, but they are making a difference. The principle is simple but profound:

World-changers aren't just the ones with big ideas. They're the ones who answer their calling and keep showing up, even when it's not exciting anymore.

Here are a few that come to mind:- My parents, 44 years into a marriage that grows richer each year. They are modeling consistency.- My friend Justin Miller, who co-founded Untold when he was in college and is still at it more than 15 years later. - Our Senior Pastor at church, 72 years old, still serving faithfully after more than 50 years in ministry.

These people understand something I'm just learning to grasp: there's a kind of magic in what Eugene Peterson calls "a long obedience in the same direction."

Real, lasting change often happens through the slow burn of consistency.

So today, I want to celebrate each of you who keeps showing up. Those of you who stay committed when it would be easier to quit.Those of you who continue when it’s tempting to chase the next shiny thing. Those of you who understand that faithfulness is worth it, when it seems that no one is noticing.One last thing: when someone comes to your mind today who has been consistent for a long time, reach out and let them know how much you appreciate them. That encouragement might be just what they need to keep going another day.

Over the summer I watched the Olympics and one of my favorite athletes was Noah Lyles. He won the gold in the 100m sprint by a mere .005 seconds.

You’ve heard the saying “life is a marathon, not a sprint.” In most areas, that’s true. When pursuing your goals, investing in your career, raising kids, or maintaining friendships, it’s more about pace than speed and endurance over a long period of time.

But there are times when success comes from a sprint. Lyles's victory, decided by thousandths of a second, reminded me of the power and impact of focused, intense effort over a brief period.

The term “sprints” is used a lot in the business world, specifically in the realm of technology. If a company wants to develop something new, they might issue a sprint to make it happen quickly. They will compile all of the research and preparation ahead of time, and then put focused effort and resources on actually building the new solution during a shorter period of time. So instead of taking years to develop a new technology solution or platform, a fully devoted team could be ready to launch in a matter of weeks, or even days.

If a sprint can be effective to accelerate progress in a business, think of how it could help you advance your personal goals.

At times, I struggle with procrastination. I delay starting an important task because it feels like it will take a marathon to complete it. It’s daunting, and the thought of getting it all done is exhausting. But in these instances, viewing it as a spring can help me get started and make progress quickly. Can’t muster the energy to go through your entire email inbox?  Set a timer for twenty minutes of undivided attention and get through as much as you can.

Is the prospect of getting your house organized overwhelming? Start by carving out 30 minutes and pick one area, like your closet, to organize.

Does developing the habit of reading seem impossible? Try this: Commit to reading five pages of a book each night. The average book is 200 pages long, so if you read just five pages a night, you would be on your way to reading up to ten books in one year!

The best way to tackle the tall task in front of you might be to start with a small sprint.

What area of your life could use a sprint? Identify it, define a short period of time that you can run at full speed, and block out the time to do it. A lot of times, the progress we make from a short sprint gives us the energy and momentum necessary to decide to run the entire marathon.

In 1503 Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. 521 years later, it hangs in the Louvre in Paris where millions of people travel to see it each year.

It was da Vinci who also said,

"Shun those studies in which the work that results dies with the worker."

Let’s be real: Most of us are unlikely to have a piece of art that is still being admired five centuries later. But we can all learn something from the truth that da Vinci shared that we should aspire to work that will outlive us. Our outputs should create a lasting impact and imprint.

While that is a noble aspiration, it can be difficult to remember in the rat race of quarterly reports and annual reviews. It’s easy to get bogged down and neglect the bigger picture. Here are some practical steps to keep the focus on things that will outlive us:

Invest in People, Not Just Projects:

When a business is paying ADDO, they are hiring us to build a program or execute a project. Because of that, we can often focus solely on the output for which clients are paying. Even so, we must still dedicate resources to developing our team's skills and potential. By investing in people, you create a ripple effect that extends far beyond your tenure, shaping future leaders who will carry your influence forward.

Build Systems, Not Dependencies:

On the surface, a system doesn’t always sound like something that leads to lasting impact. However, creating robust systems that are able to function without your constant input is a long-term play. Document best practices, establish clear protocols, and empower your team to make decisions. This ensures continuity and allows your influence to persist through the structures you've established, even after you've moved on.

Champion Long-Term Vision:

Be the voice that advocates for the long game. Push for initiatives that may not show immediate returns but have the potential for significant future impact. Make decisions that align with your purpose and will outlast your current leadership role.

There is one other key piece to pursuing lasting impact: a hefty dose of humility. While we are tempted to focus on “shun those studies” and “the work that results,” we can’t overlook “dies with the worker.”

The reality is, the worker eventually dies. So our individual contributions, no matter how impressive, are just one part of a much larger story. The good news:

When we align our efforts with a greater purpose and empower those around us, we ensure that our work takes on a life of its own.

This shouldn’t discount work that feels monotonous and mundane. Instead, it should challenge us to ask ourselves: Is this work contributing toward something that I’ll be proud of down the road?