It's one of the first simple phrases our parents teach us—two little words we learn to use automatically, and often without thought. But can just saying "thank you" actually make us happier, healthier, and more energetic? In her new book, Thank You Power, Deborah Norville says we'll reap all those benefits—and many more.

These days Deborah has plenty to be thankful for. A two-time Emmy winner, she's anchored the television news magazine Inside Edition for more than 11 years, garnering both professional respect and awards for her gripping, behind-the-scenes reporting on issues such as the crash of an American Airlines jet in Columbia and what life is really like inside a North Carolina jail.

And her success isn't limited to the professional. Married to Karl Wellner for 20 years with three children, Deborah has managed to achieve that elusive balance between family and career, even earning a Mother of the Year award.

Of course, Deborah has had her share of tough times. Born in Dalton, Georgia, her parents divorced when she was very young. Her mother suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for most of Deborah's childhood. With such a debilitating disease, it was necessary for Deborah and her three sisters to take on much of the responsibility for running the home. By age 10 she could cook a roast, iron, vacuum, and grocery shop. "Mom used to say we were her arms and legs," she recalls.

After she earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia, a local television station in Atlanta hired Deborah as a reporter and anchor. In 1987, at the age of 28, her career went national as she became the anchor of NBC News at Sunrise and a frequent substitute for hosts Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley on the popular Today show.

Then, in 1989, NBC made the decision to permanently replace Pauley with Deborah. The reaction from viewers was swift and brutal, and Deborah suffered the backlash. Seen as the "other woman," she was blamed for destroying the beloved Gumbel/Pauley partnership. When ratings declined, Deborah was replaced by Katie Couric.

"I was washed up at 31!" she says ruefully. "They had already written my professional obituary."

"They" were wrong. Deborah went on to host a nightly radio program, act as correspondent for a cbs primetime newsmagazine, and eventually to anchor Inside Edition.

A committed Christian, she credits her faith both for the strength to survive the tough times and the ability to find something to be thankful for, even in the midst of them—her foundation for Thank You Power.

Today's Christian caught up with Deborah, relaxing on the back porch of her home in suburban New York, to talk about the power of gratitude and the difference it's made in her life.

What inspired you to write Thank You Power?

I had a hunch I wanted to explore. I'd always felt when I focused consciously on the positive, life went better. I wondered if maybe I was just faking myself out in the same way your kid will insist on wearing a certain jersey because it's one he's always managed to score in.

So the simple question I asked was: Is there any quantifiable benefit to counting your blessings, and if so, what is it? It had to be measured, proved—the kind of valid study that would have made a good news story.

What answers did you find?

One study, by Professor Robert Emmons from the University of California Davis, involved three test groups. One focused on their blessings, one focused on the bad things that happened, and the third just focused on neutral things like "Today I washed the car."

The participants kept track of things such as how much they exercised, if they had troubles with headaches or allergies, how well they slept. The results showed those who focused on their blessings were more optimistic, more social, more apt to help other people, and even averaged an hour and a half more exercise each week than those in the other two groups.

How have you implemented Thank You Power in your own life?

I have a pretty little notebook that I keep in my purse. Almost every day I write down three moments that I can look back on and say, "That was cool!"

So when you're having a bad day, do you pull it out?

Absolutely. There's an entry I've been drawing on right now, about an elderly friend who died in early June. It was standing room only at her memorial service, and as I heard the incredible things people said about her, I thought, How lucky I am to have been befriended by a woman of such character and strength. What can I take from her life to honor her by injecting it into mine?

Or I might look at a notation about my daughter, who is incredibly generous with her hugs. She doesn't care if my boss yells at me or I get scooped on a story. I'm her mommy and she loves me.

Remembering those things deflects my attention from the momentary goofiness that brings me down.

Are you a naturally thankful person, or do you have to work at it?

My natural tendency is to be grateful. I think that's a reflection of my childhood. Since my mother was physically unable to do things my friends' moms could, I was always intensely thankful when there was something she could participate in. She couldn't always pick us up from school, so if I saw her green station wagon, it was, "Yay! Mom's here!" If she had her hair fixed and lipstick on, that was even more cool because it meant she was feeling good. So I grew this knack of finding something to celebrate.

How does Thank You Power fit with your Christian faith?

It's the essence of Christianity. There are so many places in the Bible, in both good times and bad, when by Jesus' example and the examples of the prophets we're told to be thankful. So really, this book was written 2,000-plus years ago. I'm just putting a modern spin on it.

I hope that through this book, which I think resonates with the secular world, I can show how life can be enhanced by giving thanks, by finding the blessing and using the strength that comes from it. I talk about the fact that I'm a Christian, and if that part of my life seems attractive enough that people will search for faith and come to the church for answers, I'll be happy.

Is there a particular biblical example of gratitude that's been meaningful to you?

Jesus' resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus says to give thanks for the death of Lazarus—which at first glance is very strange! But consider that we are meant to learn and prosper from all experiences—even the difficult ones. The death of Lazarus was a blessing in that it was one of the first dramatic opportunities Jesus had to work his miracles on earth. So as heartbreaking as that death was, it was also a time to be joyful.

Has it been difficult to be a Christian in your line of work?

It's no harder than if I worked at the Kroger, because it's part of who I am. What is tricky is when I'm on camera or doing interviews, how much of my faith should I inject? I broadcast on public airwaves that don't belong to me. Consequently, I have a moral obligation not to use the public's airwaves for my own personal platform—whether that's my faith, my political opinions, or my personal philosophy on a variety of things.

The analogy I use is this: I've got a gazillion opinions, and I put them in a little box outside the door when I go into the studio. On the other hand, when I'm doing an interview like this, there's nothing to stop me from talking about being a born again Christian, about how I try to be a quiet witness at work and try to massage the story selection in a productive way.

How does Thank You Power differ from Norman Vincent Peale's Power of Positive Thinking, or more currently, The Secret?

It's proactive. Both of those are passive. I've positively thought I could lose 20 pounds, and I have a very strong mind. But the needle on the scale doesn't budge. It's going to require me doing something active.

The Secret says if you see it you can be it. But take that to its logical conclusion. If I develop terminal cancer, is it because I had a bad attitude? No.

Thank You Power is cause and effect. It's also strong. It says, "I am a person of value." It's like opening a treasure box and putting things into it. Then you open the box and look at your possessions—not in the literal sense, but in terms of your experiences, skills, loved ones, the people in your life. It moves you to evaluate each of those things and recognize how they've given your life meaning. That's an active process.

The holiday season is a time when the message of joy and thankfulness gets a lot of lip service, yet people feel the most depressed. How can Thank You Power help?

The holidays are such a period of frenetic activity. You'll never get the Christmas cards out in time or bake all the cookies you meant to bake. Instead of focusing on the things you didn't get around to, you focus on what you did. For instance, instead of an Advent calendar, I'm thinking this year we might do a thank-you calendar, where each day one of us writes a blessing on a little strip of paper, or maybe an ornament.

Those who feel depressed by the season should pause and try to take stock. What's working in your life? Because the person who is feeling depressed, overwhelmed, burdened, or cheated is most likely focusing on what they don't have. An amazing thing about gratitude is that you can grow it. And that's where the person who is feeling down can take heart. You start small, by recognizing the blessings you do have in your life, no matter how insignificant they may seem. In the book, I say if you can hold this book and see the words, those are two things right there to be grateful for.

How would you answer those who say, "It's easy for her to be thankful. My life is a mess"?

We all have lives that are messy. That's when you need Thank You Power the most.

Fifteen years ago I was the anchor of the Today show, and I got run out of town. It wasn't fair. There wasn't anything I did—I was younger and blonder. I could easily focus on all the slights, perceived and real, that have happened to me professionally and personally. But it wouldn't get me any place.

Thank You Power urges you to focus on what you do have. You'll see your life in a different way and may actually find yourself going down a different path.

Dawn Zemke is associate editor for Today's Christian and Marriage Partnership magazines. For more about Deborah Norville, visit her website at www.dnorville.com.

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