BlessBack®: Thank Those Who Shaped Your Life [Paperback]

Julie Saffrin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2012

Imagine if you and your memories held the power to create positive, lasting change both in your life and the world around you. In BlessBack, Julie Saffrin guides us to reflect, connect with and thank the significant people who shaped our lives.

With a blend of true stories and research, BlessBack:

• Reveals why giving thanks matters to you, both mentally and physically, as well as to your recipients
• Explores how practicing gratitude creates a cycle of sustained happiness and a transformed life
• Offers 120 creative and compelling ideas to help you journey toward positive, lasting change

Give a BlessBack. Change your life. Change the world.

Tell your BlessBack story at www.BlessBack.com

Endorsements:

"In BlessBack: Thank Those Who Shaped Your Life, Julie Saffrin asks readers to intentionally honor those who have helped them become who they are today. Not only does she explore the power of gratitude as it pertains to each of us, but she explores gratitude's power to change the world exponentially."

— Dr. Dwight "Ike" Reighard, Inspirational Speaker & Author, co-author of The One Year Daily Insights with Zig Ziglar

"A perfect measure of inspiring stories and practical advice. Savor each page and you'll find yourself remembering, noticing, and blessing back those who have already blessed your journey through life."

— Jane Kise, Ed.D., author of LifeKeys and Soul Types

"An injection of positive inspiration that makes me eager to thank those whom I appreciate from my past and opens my grateful eyes to those who help me in countless ways today."

— Margaret Wakeley, Gratefulness.org

"What a beautiful book filled with wonderful ideas on gratitude. Blessback is an incredible gift. It teaches, inspires and offers practical, real-world advice on how to extend and expand your appreciation through offering BlessBacks. Once you get reading Blessback, it is hard to put it down!"

— Leigh Anne Saxe, Happiness Coach and Inspirational Speaker, (www.livinginthemoment.ca ), Toronto, Canada

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

JULIE SAFFRIN is the author of numerous articles and essays. She received her bachelor's degree in print journalism and English from the University of St. Thomas. She divides her time between her home in Minneapolis and her Adirondack chair at the lake in Ottertail County with her husband Rick, sons Sam, Joe and Jake, and a golden retriever named Mick. She can be reached at www.JulieSaffrin.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Ottertail Press (March 22, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061559395X
• ISBN-13: 978-0615593951
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #293,362 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julie Saffrin is the author of numerous published articles and essays. She received her bachelor's degree in print journalism and English from the University of St. Thomas. She divides her time between her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota and her Adirondack chair at the lake in Ottertail County with her husband Rick, sons Sam, Joe and Jake and a golden retriever named Mick. She can be reached at www.JulieSaffrin.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful idea June 19, 2012

By Aggie C

Format:Paperback

`BlessBack' by Julie Saffrin

`BlessBack'contains a beautiful idea: that of thinking back over one's life and thanking in a very positive way those who have had some good influence on us or done us a kindness.
"Be causal," Julie Saffrin says. Our actions can have a ripple effect beyond our expectations.

The idea of happiness coming from a sense of connectedness, compassion, a desire to improve the world we find, is not in itself new, but Ms Saffrin's examples bring home its reality. The Waxdahls and their farming friends; the French people who hid and nurtured refugees during World War 2, at their own great risk; Fred Hargesheimer whose own life was blessed as he blessed the lives of others - these stories, and many others, are genuinely inspiring.

Ms Saffrin is a realist. Not everyone appreciates gratitude, not everyone will remember you. Many people dislike feeling indebted. Nevertheless, "Living a gratitude-filled life is an acknowledgement of debt and an expression of humility..."

Julie Saffrin discusses ways of appreciating those who cannot understand or communicate, and even those who have died or who cannot be found. At the end of the book, encouraging the reader to participate personally, she adds an appendix with copious and inventive ideas for BlessBacks.

`BlessBack' is well-written and eminently readable, and I have no hesitation in recommending it. What comes across most of all is the author's commitment to the spreading and sharing of goodness, and the celebration of the benign influence we can all have on the lives of our fellow human beings.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read on the Topic of Gratitude August 3, 2012

By Shelley Hitz

Format:Kindle Edition

Wow...this is one of the most comprehensive books I've read on the topic of gratitude. Not only are there TONS of stories - both personal stories from the author and from others - there was obviously a lot of research done on this topic by the author as shown by the depth in which she covers this topic of gratitude and what she calls a BlessBack.

The author not only shows the benefits of living a life of gratitude but backs it up with statistics and research. I found it interesting to learn about the research that has been done on being thankful and gratitude. One statistic given in the book is that "each day, the average person complains seventy times and has 45,000 negative thoughts." Wow!

This book was very inspirational. I found myself smiling at times and other times tearing up over the stories told. They were tears of joy, however, as I read touching stories about the power of one simple act of gratitude, a BlessBack.

I like the personal application sections of the book. There is a section at the end of each chapter to apply what you are learning. It includes:

- A note to self
- The Look Back
- The Invitation
- A BlessBack Course of Action
- Benediction

I think the author covers just about every type of BlessBack you can think of and shares many stories as examples of how to apply it to your own life within the book. However, she doesn't stop there. She also includes an appendix with 120 additional ways to BlessBack which I found very helpful.

I really enjoyed this book. It is well written, inspiring and impactful. Highly recommended!

Shelley Hitz, author of "21 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Finding Freedom from Self-Pity and a Negative Attitude"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspires September 12, 2012

By Heather Bixler

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book has inspired me to embrace selflessness and bless back. It is not something that comes all that easily to someone like me, but everytime I do God really speaks to my heart and I feel I less stress. I love that this book is not just a book, it is designed to be a revolution to change the world by blessings others one person at a time. :)