Enrich Your Life through

GRATITUDE

I rediscovered gratitude during my treatment with Dr. Bernard Shulman. The rediscovery happened after a long period of the ingrate state expressed in my treatment as complaining, moaning and worrying about events that were not. This realization came to me when I was wondering about all of my lamenting and self-pity and anxiety, when my life was going pretty well. I suddenly realized that I was moaning about nothing real, that I was complaining about things that did not exist, and that I was trying to adapt to events that weren’t.

I have long been preoccupied with loss. I guess I wanted to become a doctor to help other people as a defense against feelings of loss, so it isn’t all bad. I always worry about losing what I have, and sometimes worry about losing what I don’t have! Sick, Sick, Sick. The more you have, the more you have to lose, so the more anxiety you have for fear of losing it. Dr. Shulman let me moan, complain and go on with my consummate negativity, occasionally responding with some humor from time to time.

I rediscovered gratitude trying to get out of the pile of negativity that has always swamped my life. It came back to me as totally obvious, for I have spent many years taking care of alcoholics and drug addicts (some 15,000 or more) and “The attitude of gratitude” is the central theme in
AA, EA, CA, OA, and Alanon. I have discussed gratitude in depth with 15,000 people and was real good at teaching others to feel gratitude and get into that mode of living in the 12 step recovery program. I guess the more you talk about it, the more you keep it on your lips and it doesn’t get integrated with your feelings, thoughts and actions. So I wore gratitude on my sleeve and in my mouth and that kept it from getting it integrated inside.

So this book is an attempt to get it inside of me and to help you get it inside of you so you can really get The Attitude of Gratitude and all that it can do to improve your life.

I express my gratitude to Dr. Shulman and my wonderful wife, Gloria. I thank Aunt Belle