I’m reading a book that mentions another book by Deborah Norville called “Thank you Power” Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You. In it she tells a story about a man named David, who found himself discouraged. He had moved to Manhattan with high hopes of landing a well-paying job and living in a nice apartment, only to end up with a meager salary as an assistant and living with a friend because he couldn’t afford a place of his own.

One Saturday morning, while out on a job assignment, David decided to start counting things that made him happy. He started by smiling at the sight of a mother walking her baby, then realized seeing a jet make its way across the sky made him happy. He noticed fabulous aromas from cafes he passed and enjoyed bright, colorful displays in store windows. By the time he completed his assignment, he was once again happy-and he was actually thankful he had moved to New York.

More than twenty years later, David is a successful entrepreneur, but he’s never forgotten the day that turned his life around–the day he learned about the power of being thankful.

Get out a piece of paper right now and start listing things you have to be thankful for. Keep the list and add to it frequently. Make it a point to think about the things that you’re grateful for when you’re out and about. You can only learn the “power of thank you” by practicing it.

excerpt from Joyce Meyer’s “Power Thought” book.

Happy Thanksgiving!