Gratitude, Thanksgiving & a New Filter on Life
I want to start with a confession: I’m a perfectionist.
For years, I wore that title like a trophy. In America, we love glorified flaws—"I’m a perfectionist,” “I’m so busy,” “I have high standards.” But here’s the truth:
We take too much pride in who we think we are…and not enough passion in becoming who God wants us to be.
Chasing perfection steals joy. I've lived that out for years—and here's the recipe:
You measure yourself against a standard that 99.99% of people will never dream of.
Because of that ambition, you “win” on paper—performance, growth, achievement, etc. But quietly, you lose where it matters most: joy, relationships, gratitude, and peace.
This year, I decided to change that—to actually enjoy the coffee catering business God helped me to build. I made it my goal to stop merely achieving growth at Nightowl and start experiencing the joy in building an incredible team of hospitality-centered coffee cart and mobile espresso bar professionals.
And no, this doesn’t mean I’ve gotten soft. In fact, the opposite:
I still demand excellence.
I still hold Unreasonable Hospitality standards.
I still challenge what's possible.
I still push hard because the work matters—our coffee catering and mobile espresso bar services, our client experience, corporate branding, our culture—all of it.
But now?
I invite God into my day 10x more than before.
Ten seconds here, thirty seconds there—to breathe, thank Him, seek to glorify him in tiny moments, and slow down enough to see people:
To put people before tasks when the task can wait.
To choose presence over pressure.
To choose gratitude over attitude.
And that shift—that filter change—is exactly what David Marvin preached this week at Prestonwood Baptist Church.
Gratitude not expressed is gratitude NOT experienced.
David Marvin, Teaching Pastor at Prestonwood, opened up his sermon this weekend with an illustration on Instagram filters. "A filter changes the way you see something, not the actual content in the image," he taught. Furthermore, each day we put on our own filters called entitlement, insecurity, anxiety, frustration—or gratitude.
The filter we choose changes the way we see the world. Choosing the filter of gratitude changes our entire perspective. "Ugh, I hate this old car" becomes "I am so grateful to even own a car when only 12% of the world population evens owns a vehicle." But seeing through the lens of gratitude isn’t enough. We must exercise our gratitude muscles daily and put a thankful heart into practice.
We all feel thankful…but unless we express it, it stays trapped inside—unused and unnoticed. In the words of Brick Tamland, "if you don't use it, you lose it." Gratitude not expressed is gratitude NOT experienced.
At Nightowl, we refuse to let gratitude die unspoken.
We thank every client.
We write internal post-event reviews to cement gratitude.
We call out small wins.
We lift each other up.
We celebrate together.
But honestly? I want us to grow in this even more—because experiencing gratitude is one of the greatest gifts we take for granted.
As full-time event professionals, we train our bodies. As a team, we weave fitness into our daily lives. But as much as I love the gym, gratitude is the real health investment—the one that strengthens your spirit, mind, body, relationships, and leadership.
For me, gratitude has become a spiritual discipline—a way to honor God, lead my family, shape Nightowl’s culture, and pair ambition with humility. The same discipline I bring to physical fitness, I now bring to cultivating a grateful heart.
Both require effort.
Both build strength.
Both matter.
Why Gratitude Is Nightowl’s Secret Ingredient
Our culture of gratitude is why clients trust us for:
- DFW coffee catering
- Dallas-based coffee cart service
- Mobile barista stations
- Experiential brand activations
- High-touch hospitality moments that feel personal, intentional, and memorable
We don’t just serve espresso—we serve gratitude in every cup. Click here to inquire for your next event: ✨👉 nightowlcoffeecart.com/book
The Science Behind Gratitude (Quick + Real)
- Gratitude boosts happiness, resilience, and emotional well-being.
(Harvard Health)
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happier - Gratitude strengthens relationships. A University of Georgia study of 400 couples found that expressed gratitude predicted higher marital satisfaction and stability — even during conflict.
(UGA Today)
https://news.uga.edu/research-links-gratitude-positive-marital-outcomes-1015 - Gratitude improves physical health — better sleep, lower stress, stronger immunity, even longer life.
(Harvard Health)
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/gratitude-may-help-you-live-longer
Science keeps proving what Scripture has said for centuries: a grateful heart changes your life.
🔗 For More Inspiration on Leadership & Culture:
- Our Finchella Collaboration With Atelier Coffee
- The Dallas Coffee Catering Team Built for Impossible Requests
- Nightowl Coffee Fuels 3,000+ Guests at Visa Payment Forum 2025
