Can two little words be the key to unlocking your life’s full potential? In her best-selling book Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You, Emmy-winning reporter and Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville explains how saying “thank you” and expressing gratitude offers great rewards in return. Norville’s book isn’t simply postulation; she steeps her claims in scientific research, and sprinkles them with inspiring stories that support the claims. Regardless of age, gender, or personal circumstances, making a point of recognizing life’s blessings yields physical, mental, and emotional benefits, and allows you to think more creatively, handle life’s stressors with less difficulty, and improve your immune system and overall health. “Thank You Power came to me because I’m pretty skeptical about everything,” Norville admits, “but because I’m skeptical I want to know: Is there any proof? I was blown away by the scientific literature that there were measurable benefits. There is hard data behind this.”

Scientific studies aside (though plenty are cited in the book), Norville is quick to explain how the active expression of gratitude has gifted her, in return, with so much more. “I’m more productive because I’ve made a conscious practice of being more thankful in my life,” she says. “I’m much more eager and energetic to take on new projects. When you see that by focusing on your thank-yous, you’re able to come up with better solutions, what you’ve really done is opened the neuro receptors in your mind.”

It has even allowed her to better enjoy her love of knitting. “I know it’s kind of dorky,” she says, laughing. “And I used to be worried about what the world thought of it. Now I don’t care anymore. One person’s ‘nay’ doesn’t stop me.”

It is no surprise that Norville has worked hard to foster gratitude in her three children, and has used thank-you power to make them see how “little bright spots” can help them through difficult situations. She recounts the story of how, when her son was in fifth grade, he had a new teacher. “It’s often horrible for kids to get the new person,” she explains, “and so my son hated school. When he would get home, I would say, ‘Tell me something good that happened today.’ Inevitably, the things he would tell me would be things outside of school, and I wanted him to recognize that something good happened during school.”

So she began asking questions about simple things—like who he sat next to at lunch and what he had for dessert—and drawing out of him three of these bright spots every day. “It was like pulling teeth without anesthesia,” she admits, “but soon, before I could ask him, he would come to me: ‘Mom, I have my three good things.’ ” In time, she says, she and her husband even began to notice that his grades improved noticeably.

Indeed, Norville admits that she has always leaned toward the positive; she credits her family and her faith as the springboards to her strength and happiness. Citing her experience testing out of her freshman year of college at the University of Georgia, she says, “It’s not that I’m a brighter person—my mind-set has always helped me. So I would go into tests with a hopeful attitude, expecting that I’m going to do well. I performed better because I’m inherently one of those grateful people.”

Of course, Norville has “down” moments just like everybody else. When that happens, she pulls out a journal she keeps for recording the many things—large and small—that have filled her with gratitude. (Every day, she writes down at least three things that she was thankful for.) “When I’m down in the dumps, I pull out a notebook and let it fall open. Often, it opens to a page with moments I’ve long since forgotten, and I’m transported back to that long-ago event. Without a doubt, it gets me out of the funk I’m in.”

Next month, Norville will be on hand for the official opening of the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Hospital, talking about Thank You Power, answering questions, and even signing copies of the book. She understands that in a person’s darkest moments, as when they are battling debilitating illness, it can be difficult to channel an inner thank-you power, but she knows it can be done—and with positive results. “What an amazing resource,” she says of the Cancer Center. “Patients here are being treated at a brand-new facility with state-of-the-art everything. You have the comfort of knowing that the people who are caring for you are about as motivated as anyone—and there’s a thank-you right there.

“My grandfather died of cancer; it seems everyone’s got it in their family. And the laws of attraction state that if you put out positive vibes, you get positive vibes. If you put out negative vibes, you get negative vibes. I wholeheartedly disagree. It’s not a bad attitude that gives you cancer; it’s not a good attitude that cures you. But the data show that people who are able to focus on the positive have better outcomes.”
One way to focus on the positive, Norville says, it to reach out to others. “How do you reach out? You talk to someone else in the chemo room. Getting outside yourself is therapeutic. It’s easy to go into victim mode. But when you’re able to take the focus off of yourself and put it on someone else, that extra measure of appreciation is worth it.”

It’s a “pay it forward” principle that the veteran journalist has seen proven time and again. “People who are appreciated are more apt to do nice things for other people,” she says. “If you engage in this process, you have nothing to lose. Thank You Power doesn’t put rose-colored glasses on you. It’s just a useful tool for dealing with the complexities of life.”

To learn more about “Thank You Power” and attend Deborah Norville’s appearance at the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Hospital on November 5, call (866) 618-3261.

To attend the Center’s November 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony, featuring tours of the new facility, health screenings, and refreshments, call (866) 618-3271.