Living Life As a Thank You

"Living Life as a Thank You" beautifully teaches how to achieve and maintain an "attitude of gratitude" in everyday life; even when it at times may feel as though we have nothing for which to be grateful. Using anecdotal and personal experiences, the authors evoke both smiles and tears while teaching the most valuable lessons we can learn - to be grateful for what it is that we have; rather than focus on what it is we may lack. Particularly important if you have suffered loss or serious life challenge, I highly recommend the book as a "must read".

Lesowitz, Nina and Mary Beth Simmons. "Living Life as a Thank You: The Transformative Body of Daily Gratitude", Cleis Press, 2009. Learning to Enrich Ourselves Amos Lassen If you could see me now you would see a big smile on my face. This is because I just finished reading "Living Life as a Thank You" and I learned that gratitude is one way to achieve order in my life. By helping others we help ourselves and even though we know this most of us do not pay attention to it. Lesowitz and Simmons give us a guidebook so that we can bring more joy into our lives and connect better socially. In the Jewish religion, for example, random acts of kindness are highly valued and I wonder how many of us actually perform them. Today, practicing gratitude daily can and should become part of our routine and by embracing it, we become better people. The book is simple and deep--simple in that it is about something we all know about, deep because it teaches us how to deal with ourselves. Being grateful should be a way of life and we see examples in this little book. It is a quick read but it stays with you as we learn how gratitude can change our lives. We learn to look at each day as something to be thankful for and there is always a reason to be thankful even though it may not seem obvious. Some of the examples given are relatively easily to understand and relate to while there are some that I found a bit difficult but since I am still thinking about them shows me the influence of the book. I am anxious to see my life change by practicing what I read.

It's easy to get caught up in the daily hardships of one's life and dismiss all of the positives. This book reminds one of how to look beyond the bad and be aware of the good. "Living Life as a Thank You" makes one think of all the good things, whether it be - that my car is running or that work went well - and to be in a constant state of thankfulness. It really did help improve my mood! I found the book to be a great reminder as well as an inspiration. I definitely recommend to other readers. It can only help!

Two disclaimers ... I've known one of the authors, Mary Beth Sammons, for 28 years, and my story is included in the book. But even if either of those things were not true, I would still love this book and think it makes a great gift this holiday season. We live in a busy, unforgiving, competitive world. It's very easy to get wrapped up in the details of our lives and forget how much many of us really do have in our lives when we look beyond the surface and examine the things that matter ... family, friends, good work, communities. I have always admired Winston Churchill's comment that "we make a living from what we get, but we make a life from what we give." This is exactly what this book is about ... recognizing that with a bit of gratitude for all that we have, our lives will be very rich indeed.

What would happen if we made a conscious effort to live in a world without complaining? What if we forced ourselves to find something, in every situation, to be thankful for. An old saying is: In Everything Give Thanks..." so this idea is not new. However, it is something that we don't do. People tend to find things to complain about easier than to find things to be happy for. The weather is too hot, too cold, too dry, and too rainy--we could go on and on. The authors of Living Life as a Thank You propose that you look each day for something that you are thankful for. If there is a foot of snow outside and you are sick of winter, you could try being thankful for the beauty of the snow. Or if you didn't get the raise you wanted, you could be thankful that you have a job. The list could go on forever. Certain people, such as alcoholics, have a tendency to be depressed. Living Life as a Thank You shares the story of a man who had to make an effort every morning to push the negativity away and find the positive. Many different stories from different types of individuals fill Living Life as a Thank You. Some you will relate to, some you won't. But the theme of the book remains constant. Be thankful. Find something good in every situation. Share your thankfulness with others. If you are thankful for a park to walk in, tell the people responsible for providing it. And maybe make an effort to pick up some of the trash others left behind. At the end of each section is a section called "Gratitude Practice." It gives practical applications to practicing the ideas that each chapter puts into play. Some of the ideas are really good. I do have some issues with parts of the book, like the suggestion in some chapters as "imagine a higher power, and sending a blessing to a person..." and others. However, most of the ideas are right on, such as sending a card to someone, paying it forward, etc. Living Life as a Thank You is a good book to read and to pass on. If you practice what is taught in this book, it will not only make a difference in your life, but in the lives of those around you. Armchair Interviews says: Good book for your own reading and as a gift.