Let's give thanks.
As we head into Thanksgiving week, it's a good time to remind ourselves to be grateful. That's not just because it's a nice thing to do--but because it's good for us.
I just listened to a terrific podcast with AJ Jacobs, author of Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey. The book is about how the author went about thanking everybody responsible for making his morning cup of coffee.
Mostly, it was an inspirational reminder that we must diligently reject negativity. This isn't a passive thing. We must proactively give thanks--for our own good. Jacobs quotes a Benedictine monk, who says "Happiness does not lead to gratitude, gratitude leads to happiness." This rings true to me. But how can we be intentionally thankful?
A few of the ideas Jacobs recommends are (a) force yourself to notice the miracles and little things that go right for you each day, (b) volunteer to help others (this gets us out of a selfish victimhood mindset and reminds us of our blessings, (c) literally tell people you are grateful for what they do for you (again, Jacobs literally thanked a thousand people involved in his cup of coffee), (d) give positive Yelp reviews (and rate and review podcasts on iTunes), (e) drop nostalgia (which is a "thief of joy") and seize the day. After all, Jacobs reminds us, the "good old days" weren't always so good. Today is pretty great.
And there's a lot more. Check out the book and the podcast discussion, and THANK YOU for your support!
Looking back to early November
The Midterm elections were just about weeks ago, and I've spent the time digesting the results and thinking about what happened--and what it all means. Over at the Daily Beast, I speculated on the provocative idea that Trump should tap Nikki Haley as his 2020 running mate. I also observed how the House is about to become much Trumpier. And in the DMZ, liberal Bill Scher and I discussed why Democrats should stick with Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, and I made my case for why (despite losing to Ted Cruz) Dems should consider nominating Beto O'Rourke for president in 2020. On the Podcast Bruce Mehlman returned to the podcast to discuss his latest insider political analysis, "A Split Decision in a Divided Nation." (Even if you're getting sick of midterm post-mortems, this conversation is worth your time.) Also, I talked to the Weekly Standard's John McCormack about how the Texas Republican establishment (including Ted Cruz) tried to torpedo the candidacy of GOP rising star Dan Crenshaw. (If you missed Crenshaw's appearance on Saturday Night Live last week, watch it this instant!). Next Week We've got two great podcast interviews coming your way next week. First, I'll interview MSNBC's Steve Kornacki about his new book, 'The Red and the Blue: The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism.' Then, I'll talk to Richard Brookhiser about 'John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court.'
In Other News... On Nov. 11, 1918, American fighter ace Eddie Rickenbacker defied orders and flew over no-man’s-land. He became “the only audience for the greatest show ever presented.“ It snowed in DC this week. In November. Happy Thanksgiving. And just remember: turkeys can't fly!