Reading Recommendations:

Thank You Power, Making The Science of Gratitude Work for You, Deborah Norville -

What if the secret to lasting happiness were within each of us? What if a sense of completion, an enduring feeling of contentment, were possible simply by changing the lens through which we view daily life?

Deborah Norville has some good news: we have the power right now. Regardless of our age, religion, financial status, or any other classification that society can dream up, we have within us the tools to live a life of satisfaction, security, and optimism.

Filled with inspiring stories, Thank You Power presents the latest research on the impact positive emotions have in our lives. Deborah has discovered that the influence of gratitude is quantifiable, both physically and emotionally. Being thankful, acknowledging the blessings in our lives, and making it a point to recognize these good things, will positively change our lives. We will be happier, healthier, and better able to handle the stresses of daily life simply by saying "Thank you".

And, Focus on The Good Stuff, The Power of Appreciation, Mike Robbins, Foreword by Richard Carlson, author, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff -

We live in a culture that focuses on the "bad stuff". We're constantly bombarded with negative messages from the media, advertisers, politicians, and even the people around us. Worse yet, many of us are so critical of ourselves that we're our own worst enemies.

But help is on the way. Focus on The Good Stuff offers a plan for dispelling the cloud of negativity that surrounds us. Mike Robbins has created a powerful, yet simple approach for mastering the one thing we need most of all to achieve authentic happiness and be of service to others, that is, to practice the art of appreciation.

Appreciation allows you to improve your relationships, create greater success and fulfillment and experience a deep sense of gratitude for yourself, for others, and for life itself.

Written by a former professional baseball player whose career was ended with an injury to his pitching arm in the middle of his third season, Focus on The Good Stuff is filled with passion, authenticity, and humor. Robbins offers a step-by-step program with exercises for overcoming negative influences and obstacles, creating a truly grateful approach to life, and establishing an environment that can support success and peace of mind.

And, The Age of Miracles, Embracing The New Midlife, Marianne Williamson -

The need for change as we get older, an emotional pressure for one phase of our lives to transition into another, is a human phenomenon, neither male or female. There simply comes a time in our lives, not fundamentally different from the way puberty separates childhood from adulthood, when its time for one part of ourselves to die and for something new to be born.

The purpose of this book is to psychologically and spiritually reframe this transition so that it leads to a wonderful sense of joy and awakening.

Midlife is not a crisis; it's a time of rebirth. It's not a time to accept your death; it's a time to accept your life, and to finally live it, and to finally truly live it as only you know deep down it was meant to be lived.

Coming out of the cold dreary days of winter, these three books offer hope and inspiration for the spring days to come. There are more on the shelves to choose from.

See you at Rylander!