From the Introduction You're holding in your hands a little book that can, I hope, have a profound effect on your life. To give you a sense of the power of experiencing "great-fulness"--as Benedictine monk Brother David Stendl-Rast calls gratitude--I'd like to open with a story. I wrote this book in 1999. Sometime after, I got an email request from a guy who was a real estate agent in Southern California. Dave had started a nonprofit helping teens in the California foster system who were about to turn eighteen and lose state support. His nonprofit offered transition money, support, and a place to stay. He wanted to know if I could sell him some copies of this book at a discount to give away to people who donated to his charity. I arranged to give him some copies for free and promptly forgot all about it. One day a package arrived in my mailbox. When I opened it, a small rock fell out. I opened the accompanying letter. It was from Dave who was thanking me for the books and sending me the story of one of the youngsters he'd helped, a seventeen-year-old named Lauren. Lauren had lived in twelve different foster homes since she was eight. When she moved, her possessions fit in one plastic trash bag. She was about to "age out" of the California foster system, with no place to live, no money, no job, when Dave met her. But, he said, she was the happiest person he'd ever met. Why? Because when she was ten, she lived with Mommy Jean. Mommy Jean gave Lauren a small rock and told her to carry it always in her pocket. Each time she felt it, she was to think of something to be grateful for. Every since, no matter where she lived, Lauren touched that rock and was grateful. Since that day, whenever I speak about gratitude, I give out pebbles. If I could, I would hand one right now to you. To help you not only practice an attitude of gratitude. But also to remember each time you touch it, that, like for Lauren, the magic of gratitude to lift your spirits, at least a little, is available to you each and every day, no matter your circumstances. That's what this book is all about. Excerpted from Attitudes of Gratitude: How to Give and Receive Joy Everyday of Your Life (Live Life to the Fullest Guidebook, Positive Thinking Book for Ultimate Happiness) by M. J. Ryan All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
