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Norville's Note To Self: Give Thanks For Life's Blessings

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By WALT BELCHER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 2, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Deborah Norville carries a little notebook to jot down her 'thank you' reminders.

'I have to work at it,' she says about counting her blessings and showing gratitude to those who make her feel blessed.

She says that with each entry in the notebook, she logs not only the blessing, but also the friends, family and co-workers who made it possible. And by thanking those people, the blessing spins forward, she notes.

'You can become a grateful person in the same way you can become a fit person if you make the effort,' she said during an interview Monday at WTSP, Channel 10.

Norville, anchor of 'Inside Edition,' was in town to promote the long-running newsmagazine that is now airing at 7 weeknights on Channel 10.

She also attended a book signing Monday night for her new book, 'Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You,' an inspirational book that explores the scientific research behind the power of gratitude.

'I never set out to write a book,' she says. 'I just wondered if anyone with credentials had actually proved that there is measurable benefit to counting your blessings.'

There is, she says, citing dozens of what she calls dry, 'unbelievably sleep-inducing' articles and academic research papers.

Researchers from the University of California-Davis, Cornell, University of Michigan and others found that accentuating the positive really can eliminate the negative.

She says there is evidence of chemical changes in the brain (endorphins are released) when people concentrate on the good things for which they are grateful.

'Also, when you express gratitude, you make others feel better and they feel better about you,' she says. 'And who doesn't want to be liked?'

She adds that research has shown that counting blessings - writing them down and reviewing them - can make a person more optimistic, lower blood pressure and result in fewer headaches and allergy attacks.

For information on Norville's book, go to thankyoupower.net. She is scheduled to be a guest on 'Good Morning America' on Thursday.

Grateful For Family, Career

Norville counts her husband, Karl, and three children among her blessings. 'I'll be 20 years married in December,' she says.

She adds that without her husband's support, she wouldn't have finished the book.

She says she also is grateful for her job on 'Inside Edition.' The syndicated newsmagazine is celebrating its 20th season. Norville has been with the series for 12 years. She is celebrating her 30th year as a journalist.

'We are consistently ranked in the top 10 of syndicated series,' she says. 'Other newsmagazines chase after gossip and tabloid news, and we do our share of celebrity-driven stories, but we try to have substance in our coverage.

'We just won the Consumer Federation of America's lifetime achievement award for reporting.'

She started off the new fall season by interviewing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York.

'I remember my first television news report, covering the DeKalb County firemen's picnic for WAGA in Atlanta,' Norville says. 'I was like Reese Witherspoon in 'Sweet Home Alabama,' a little blonde with a thick Southern accent.'

Norville, who is from Dalton, Ga., was a student at the University of Georgia at the time. She has a UGA fight song for a ring tone on her cell phone.

While at WAGA, she was a weekend anchor. Then she worked at WMAQ-TV in Chicago.

Turnover Tough On 'Today'

Norville, who turned 49 in August, was a rising star in Chicago when NBC tapped her for a network job. She left for New York to co-anchor 'NBC News at Sunrise,' and in 1989 she joined the 'Today' show as a news anchor.

When Jane Pauley left the show in 1990, Norville was moved to co-host. There was much speculation in the media that Pauley had been pushed aside for a younger woman (Norville).

Norville appeared to be the victim of misplaced public dissatisfaction over the loss of Pauley, who had been with the show for 13 years. Public reaction grew so unfavorable that Norville was replaced in 1991 by Katie Couric.

Norville bounced back and landed a reporting and anchoring job at CBS. She anchored on the Sunday editions of the 'CBS Evening News' before replacing Bill O'Reilly on 'Inside Edition' in 1995.

A two-time Emmy winner, she is author of 'Back on Track: How to Straighten Out Your Life When It Throws You a Curve' (Simon & Schuster, 1997). She has also written two children's books, 'I Don't Want to Sleep Tonight' (Golden Books, 1999) and 'I Can Fly' (Golden Books, 2001).

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813 259-7654 or wbelcher@tampa

trib.com.

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