thankfulness

Do We Take God For Granted?

/ Alex Doriot / 2 Comments
The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter

The Oscars will be missing something this year – the greatest actor of our generation.

Despite two highly-regarded performances – as the title character in the harrowing “Captain Phillips” and as the legendary Walt Disney in “Saving Mr. Banks” – somehow Tom Hanks missed out on an Oscar nomination this year.

What’s the deal here? I must admit I have not seen many of the Oscar nominated films this year, including “Saving Mr. Banks”. And I know there’s only so many spots that can go out there for nominations.

But have you seen “Captain Phillips”? Tom Hanks is incredible as a reserved ship captain trying to maintain order as Somali pirates hijack his boat. The last scene where Hanks finally releases all the pent-up emotion he’s been carrying through the movie is an acting masterclass.

Even as someone who expects Tom Hanks to deliver an excellent performance in every movie, I was still blown away by his work in “Captain Phillips”.

I think maybe that’s why Tom Hanks didn’t get nominated for an Oscar this year. I think everyone who’s seen “Forrest Gump” and “Saving Private Ryan” and even “You’ve Got Mail” recognizes how awesome Tom Hanks is.

So when Tom Hanks does his usual excellent work, the audience is not surprised. There’s no overwhelming movement to honor what this amazing actor is doing because the world has been recognizing his outstanding work for decades.

I think we take Tom Hanks for granted. I know I take God for granted too. Continue reading →

60 Seconds Of Gratitude

/ Alex Doriot / Leave a comment

Sometimes when I hear the alarm clanging on my iPhone I dread the idea of getting out of bed. But I can’t keep hitting the snooze button.

IMG_0572There’s a dog in my face who needs to be walked. He doesn’t care how late I stayed up or how hard I’ve been working lately. He expects me to take him outside as soon as the alarm goes off whether I like it or not.

Turns out walks with Roc are exactly what I need to kickstart my morning.

Those 10 minutes walking outside with no distractions give me a perfect chance to pray. Morning walks with Roc are a daily quiet time to take account of what’s in store fore the day. They’re also a time to give thanks to God for His many blessings.

You may not have the luxury of a morning walk time to get your heart in tune with God. No worries. Here’s another way you can get the same benefits:

Try this exercise today when you feel overwhelmed. Stop whatever you’re doing and put a timer on your phone for 60 seconds. Get out a pen and a piece of paper. Start the timer and begin writing down as many things you’re thankful for as you can in that minute.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your perspective can shift. 60 seconds of gratitude can turn your day around. Taking register of all you have to be thankful for can be the boost you need to get over the hump of frustration.

Try it out. Take a minute. It’s not an exercise I do everyday, but it’s one I go back to whenever I lose perspective on how lucky I am.

No matter where you are in life I bet you can fill up 60 seconds with gratitude. I also bet doing so will change your entire day.

Happy Friday.