Hi everyone. Thank you for all the support you’ve provided in the one month since the start of this blog! I’ve been delighted by your feedback, and by the way that many of you have been forwarding this blog to your friends and networks around the world.  All this activity inspires me to try to make this blog as useful as I can to your daily life.

Gratitude

This blog got off the ground thanks to enthusiastic support of:

• 灵珊 (Lingshan Lu), a talented Beijing marketing and public-relations consultant who’s provided crucial strategic social-media guidance for the blog, and positioning with China’s leading print, radio, TV and online media.
• 李婕 (Li Jie), a talented Beijing journalist and TV producer whom I met when she wrote about me for the Rayli and Marie Claire China fashion magazines, and who since then has become a media advisor and translator for the blog.
• 王先生（Adam Wang), a talented Beijing web designer and developer who designed the beautiful blog banner and handled all the site development of the Chinese blog.
• 张荣莉(Rongli Zhang), a talented Los Angeles marketing and operations executive who provided research and translation for the early days of this blog.

You should know that all these people have contributed their talents for free. This blog is all about helping others, and the fact that everyone involved in this blog has been a volunteer speaks to the spirit of public service that brought this blog to life. Thanks guys.

Global Rencai Get-Togethers in Beijing and Shanghai

My husband Dave and I are coming to China in June, so for those of you in those cities, I’d love to meet you. I’ll take this opportunity to announce that I am five months pregnant (!) with baby girl #2, so I expect this to be my final China trip for 2010. Here is what I’ve planned:

Beijing:
Date: Saturday 12 June, 15:00
Location: 海豚湾咖啡馆/DELUX 7, tel: 5869 1182
Chao Wai SOHO C 0732, Chaowai Dajie Yi6, Chao Yang District (Near The Palace)

Shanghai:
Date: Saturday 19 June, 15:00
Location: L’apres midi
NO.388, Nanjing Xilu Xian Le Si Plaza, Jingan District (Near Huangpo Lu)

The parties will be free, and the dress code is what we in Los Angeles call “L.A. Style.” That means: Come as casual or dressy as you like – “just look good!” I am sure that will not be a problem for any of you. Feel free to bring friends. We’ll provide a few light snacks; you buy your own drinks. If you would like to join us, please email Lingshan directly, alicelul@yahoo.com.cn. RSVP so we can know how much food to provide.

Get More Involved With This Blog

If you enjoy this blog and want to pitch in, here are some ways you can help:

• Spread the word. Forward the blog posts to anyone you feel might enjoy them, and invite them to subscribe themselves on the blog. Re-post the blog posts on BBS, and other sites where you and your friends congregate. We’ve started a network of people who want to each take responsibility for posting each blog post on a specific BBS or network. I post about twice a week, so if you want to help out this way on a regular basis, drop me an email to let me know.
• Offer your comments and feedback. Push the conversation forward, by commenting in English or Chinese on the Chinese version of any post. If you want to include your photo, you can easily do so by signing up at www.gravatar.com (this fun and free tool works across many blogs and websites). Or email me directly with your thoughts.
• Send me tips on practical career advice. I’m also always on the lookout for interesting articles and other tips that I should spread the word about and give you links to, so if you come across something that you think other Global Rencai readers would benefit from, send them along.

If none of the above actions appeal to you and you’d prefer to simply sit back and read the blog posts, that’s great, too. I feel honored to have you here, and I’ve got lots in store for all of you.

I’ll close this blog post with an excerpt of one of my favorite blog comments to date. It’s long, but it’s so beautiful and practical that I’ll give it to you in full. It’s a comment to my post “The Secret of Happiness,” and it’s from reader David Lam:

I don’t watch Oprah but do respect her way of living and what she’s done for society. So it was a pleasant surprise to read this article and think that she and I share a common perspective of life, which is to be grateful for what you have….

I’ve “grown up” in the field of consulting, a fast and furious environment that’s geared towards looking for that “What’s Next?” You walk in the door with a goal already set of making consultant. Before you know it you find yourself striving to become an expert in this, an expert in that, making the next level, meeting tight time lines and sales numbers. I’m guilty of being caught up and not noticing the years fly by, but last year it hit me and decided I need to slow down and appreciate life more. As a result I created a Twitter account, Treasureeachday, to capture things I’m thankful for each day and share them with friends and family. It’s really helped me to slow things down, be thankful of things in my life and put things into perspective.

I’d like to add to your piece by talking a little bit about what goes into a “Daily Gratitude Journal.” The hardest part is building that positive attitude to recognize things to be grateful for. I found myself starting and stopping at first, because there were days where I didn’t think there was anything to be grateful for, or think life can’t be great every day. I think for others reading this article it might be even more challenging to start, because you may think well “that’s Oprah, she’s the most powerful influential woman in America, she does so much that it would be easy to find something each day. I’m just a “normal” person compared to her, how can I expect to have something of significance each and every day of my life?

My answer is Happiness is relative. What Oprah is grateful for each day, will be different from what makes you grateful for each day. Think about things that make you laugh and smile, they don’t have to be grandiose or glamorous. As you think about it, you may come to the same realization as I did, which was the things that make us happy are very simple and unique to us. Some of my own examples are: being out in the first snow, playing tennis with my brother, calling my grandma, truly simple things, but they make me smile and warm my heart.

I recommend that everyone should at least give it a shot. Try it for a week, if nothing else you will at least learn a little bit about the secrets of your own happiness.

Cheers and may you find each days happiness.

Thanks David, and thanks everyone, for your help and partnership on this blog. Whether or not I see you at one of our Global Rencai gatherings, I look forward to being with you joyfully in spirit in the coming weeks and months. Good times ahead!
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Comments in English and Chinese are welcome, on the Chinese version of this blog post, which is here.