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Tag Archives: gratitude
Book Promo: No More Dodging Bullets
Survivor Of Personal And Professional Adversity
Shares Remarkable Story Of Perseverance
Amy Herrig is the epitome of ‘beating the odds.’ Today, her life is great; she’s happily married, enjoys football, reading, and cooking gourmet meals for her family. But it wasn’t always this way. Since her teens, Amy has battled addictions, fought a 4-year lawsuit with the government that threatened to take everything she had–including her freedom–and triumphed over breast cancer. Amy emerged with a new outlook of gratitude and humility that has transformed her life.
In her memoir No More Dodging Bullets, Herrig recounts her struggle with heroin addiction during her teenage years and, as an adult, an addiction to money. She and her father were the successful owners of a number of businesses, raking in the profits and enjoying all that it could buy when the government slapped them with a lawsuit that threatened to strip them of everything, including their freedom. During that four-year battle, she was served with another notice: she had breast cancer.
Her struggles, she says, have served to provide her with a new perspective and have deepened her faith. “All the bullets I’ve dodged and all the things that have happened made me realize how lucky I am to be alive,” she says.
Today, Herrig volunteers regularly and has founded the nonprofit, Hopeful Tuesdays, to assist the homeless in her community. She and her family enjoy spending time in Alaska, helping to run the family business there and spending time hiking and fishing. A self-professed foodie, she’s frequently hosting dinner parties and delving into meaningful conversations with her close circle of friends.
No More Dodging Bullets
Publisher: Inspired Forever Book Publishing
Available from Amazon.com
ISBN-13:978-1-948903-17-2
ISBN-10:1-948903-17-2
Paperback
Kindle
Review
“The details of a federal jury selection and trial, the government’s rather suspect practices, and what constitutes a legal substance as opposed to an illegal one are well laid-out and fascinating….Amy Herrig’s memoir of a life managing a “head shop” and the high-profile legal and moral battles that ensue, is by turns intriguing, infuriating, and inspiring” – IndieReader
Amy Herrig is a mother, wife, business owner, and lifelong Texan. She currently resides in Dallas with her family, but she also enjoys spending time in remote Alaska, helping run the family business there. She loves spending time in the outdoors, hiking and fishing, and she is a self-professed “foodie” who enjoys cooking with her family and hosting dinner parties for friends. Amy’s family and friends are her top priority–her teenage twins are her world, and since she is an only child, many of her friends are like family. Amy is married to the love of her life, Dan, and they enjoy family time, traveling, and having date nights in their kitchen cooking together.
The Benefits of Being Thankful
Can Gratitude Change Your Life?
Acclaimed Filmmaker Cites 3 Measurable
Benefits of Being Thankful
Filmmaker Doug Vermeeren likes to quote author Robert M. Pirsig when introducing the idea of positive psychology: “The truth knocks on the door and you say, ‘Go away, I’m looking for the truth,’ and so it goes away. Puzzling.”
Positive psychology entails a call for science and psychological practice to be as concerned with strength as with weakness; as interested in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst; and as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling as with healing pathology, Vermeeren says.
“People can become suspicious when you tell them that they can change their lives with a simple shift in perspective; it can seem too good to be true because it’s an uncomplicated answer to many of life’s challenges. But I’m just one of many who have experienced a measurable life change with gratitude,” says Vermeeren, creator of the new film, “The Gratitude Experiment,” (www.thegratitudeexperiment.com), which demonstrates through individual stories the powerful effects of gratitude on people’s lives.
“I feel that everyone deserves that opportunity.”
He describes three areas in life that can be positively transformed with the power of gratitude:
• Attitude: Gratitude can help us overcome any problem or hardship. It gives us perspective on what’s important, what we truly value and what we have right in front of us. In our small corner of this vast universe, we find the most miraculous thing of all: life. No matter what situation we are in or worries we face, we can always be grateful that we are alive on this beautiful planet. There is a world of possibilities open to whatever attitude we bring to it. Today we can appreciate this opportunity, giving thanks for everything we have and sharing with one another what we are grateful for.
• Health: The positive thinking triggered by our gratitude has proven health benefits, including strengthening the immune system, reducing stress and depression, reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, better coping skills during hardship and overall increased sense of well-being, according to the Mayo Clinic. “This isn’t empty, New Age-y fluff,” says Vermeeren, a successful business consultant. “This is testable criteria and measurable health benefits.”
• Relationships: One of the most defining characteristics of the human race is our social nature. We are hardwired to work, communicate and interact with each other. Most of us understand the value of being there for each other, especially during hard times. However, research from the University of California-Santa Barbara shows that it’s also crucial to be proactively positive during normal or good times, as well. Positive reinforcement during good times reinforces bonds and assures a friend, family member or spouse that you’ll be there during hard times. A neutral response to good news from a spouse, for example, implies apathy and that the responder is less involved in the other’s life. “Embrace the good stuff not only in your life, but also in the lives of others,” Vermeeren says.
About Doug Vermeeren
Doug Vermeeren is an internationally renowned movie producer, director and author. His award-winning film, The Opus (www.theopusmovie.com), received critical acclaim and has been translated to more than 23 languages. Random House published the book version in more than 23 countries. His new film, The Gratitude Experiment, is now premiering in many of the world’s biggest cities. The documentary focuses on how awareness and acts of gratitude can positively transform any situation and improve one’s life experiences, both professionally and personally.
A Potpourri of Promos, Book Talk, Entertainment & Articles of Interest from Chelle Cordero 