Gratitude on a sunny Thursday in October

Thomas in the morning
Originally uploaded by marytsao

Deborah Norville has a new book out titled Thank You Power: Making the SCIENCE of Gratitude Work for YOU. In her book she writes about something she calls Thank You Power. She explains Thank You Power to Jeneen Interlandi in a recent MSNBC interview:

"How does Thank You Power work? What are the essential steps?

It’s magically simple. Thank You Power can be ignited by the regular practice of finding something in your day that was meaningful and beneficial to you. Maybe it was an e-mail from a long-lost friend, or the magic of all the traffic lights going green when you were late getting to work. They’re not necessarily headline-making events. In fact, experts in this field say it’s usually the more banal moments that, on reflection, are the most meaningful in our lives. I actually have a Thank You list—pretty much everyday I jot down three or four things that I am grateful for in a little fabric covered notebook. Focusing on these moments is an incredibly effective way to put yourself in "positive affect," which is the scientific term for feeling good—seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty."

I'm grateful for:

Strong arms, strong legs, strong lungs, and the strong determination I have to get on that damn elliptical every day.

Picnic lunches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and kids who are "good eaters."

Sunny October days, a house with lots of windows, and the time to take my kids on an all-day fieldtrip to a pumpkin patch.

I'm also grateful to Deborah Norville for reminding me about Thank You Power. Thanks, Deborah!