Sharing Thanks

I am always thankful to read a good book. So I am going to add a new feature to Sharing Thanks. Every month I am going to share what books I'm reading! These selections are books I fell in love with over the month. They either provided me with inspiration, comedy, or wild imagination. I love reading while I'm soaking in a hot bath. I also love to read while I am waiting. I am happier waiting if I have a good book. It turns down time in to a learning time for me! This month I loved reading, " 10% Happier" by ABC Nightline reporter Dan Harris.  Don't we all want to be at least 10% Happier. This is a great read as Dan Harris has interviewed many self-help gurus over the years like Eckart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and even the Dalai Lama. I enjoyed reading about how Dan Harris started practicing meditation. He has some great instructions in the appendix of his book about beginning a basic mindfulness meditation practice, as well as how to do walking meditat...

Sharing thanks today by sharing a video my deaf daughter shared with me in a link last week. Since she sent it to me, it seems to have gone viral and I have seen it on the Huffington Post. Having a disability cuts you off from people when you don't speak the same language. How wonderful that this man's neighbors would gather and take the time to learn ASL, to give this man a day he does not expect, We all need to find ways to connect with one another. Enjoy the video and be a good neighbor!

I am so grateful to the 92nd Street Y for showcasing "Seymour: and introduction" in their reel pieces screening and talks. Seymour is about retired concert pianist Seymour Bernstein, who continues teaching lessons to students and master classes at NYU's Tisch school for the arts. I got to share this amazing experience with my good friend and musician Liz. The piano score in the movie is breathtaking. The film documents the emotional experience that music offers to us all. Ethan Hawke's direction to tell Seymour's story and impart his wisdom about how practicing a talent carries over to the discipline and values we hold dear in our personal lives. Below are 4 lessons I learned in watching this brilliant portrait of an artist. Finding and practicing your talent is part of the purpose of your life. Excellence comes from much practice and study. When we listen to an artist perform we need to appreciate the practice and courage that has been done to get a flawl...

Gratitude is scientifically proven to make us happier. I've put this Top Ten List together to help jumpstart your gratitude habit! This new thankful attitude will help your mind focus on the little joys available to all of us everyday. These suggestions are easy to do! Share your experiences in adapting some of these thankful habits. Wake up Thankful: When you open your eyes, Say thank you, thank you, thank you! You are alive, and the new day is filled with possibilities for you! Take time to stop and smell the coffee! Take the time to breathe in the sweet aroma of a cup of coffee, or home made blueberry muffins.  Enjoy your morning shower. Is there anything better than clean hot water streaming down on you, especially on these cold winter days. Be thankful for the clean water we have. Take a gratitude break. Incorporate a 1 minute break by taking a deep cleansing breathe and think of something your thankful for in this small moment of peace. Give thanks for your food...