Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
Jay Shetty, in his book "Think Like a Monk", makes a bold claim. "The world's most powerful drug," according to Shetty, is ... gratitude.
Those in the recovery community (and even those not in recovery) would likely argue with such a daring statement. "Gratitude is the most powerful drug?" There are many substances we can put into the body that are much more potent than sheer thankfulness. But maybe we need to take a second look at the thankful mindset. Gratitude has been shown to have a number of powerful effects. It is associated with longer life-spans, greater happiness, better interpersonal relationships, and stronger immune system functioning. There are indications that gratitude may even be protective against cancer and depression. It has also been found to reduce feelings of stress, as well as to improve sleep.
However, is something as simple as gratitude better than all the other things we are addicted too? The draw of deadly substances is the dopamine they provide to the system. Dopamine is the "feel-good" chemical that floods our body when we pop the pill, slam the shot, feed the feeling. Our brain wants to "feel good" and becomes hooked on the method to get that next fix of dopamine. No matter how destructive or how much we have to give up to get that next hit of "feel-good" dopamine, our mind will demand we need it. That's powerful.
But growing in gratitude can mimic all the aspects of dopamine, without all the devastating side effects. In this way, gratitude can truly be the most powerful drug in the world. Developing a thankful mindset resets our brain and can refocus on energy on what we have to be happy, and not on what we don't have that could make us happy. It is true that the world is full of wonderful gifts -- from the air we breathe to the food we eat to the friends we spend time with. But, according to Shetty, gratitude focuses our attention on just those gifts, and "we feel more grateful when we recognize that all the good things in our lives are the products of others' labors and intentions." Gratitude enables us to see and appreciate those around us who provide us with these precious gifts. It also enables us to see the things we have as blessings rather than curses -- to free ourselves from the shackles of our own self-absorption and to truly appreciate the abundance that God has given us."
We live in a cynical world. Sometimes it seems as if no one cares for anyone else anymore. Many people are only concerned with their own selfish needs and have no interest in what another person is going through. We tend to live our lives in fear and doubt and are constantly worrying about the future and what we may or may not accomplish.
According to Shetty, "This mindset makes it hard to feel gratitude toward other people." We may tend to blame other people for our problems or failures rather than accepting responsibility for them. We may feel resentful toward people who have done us wrong rather than feeling thankful that they have given us an opportunity to grow and learn.
Shetty states that in order to feel gratitude, we must first recognize what we have to be grateful for. No matter how bad things may be at the moment, there is always something we can be thankful for. There may be people we love who are struggling with illness, difficulties at work, or other problems that are so pressing that it is all we can think about. But there is always something to be thankful for. We just need to open our eyes to see that we have been given so many wonderful things in this life and we are truly blessed. And once we start appreciating all of the wonderful gifts that have been given to us, we can begin to receive more blessings as we open our hearts to others. We will begin to view life from a different perspective and recognize the many things we are blessed with every day.
A simple recommendation for growing in gratitude: every day, in the morning, write down one reason to be grateful. At the end of the month, re-read all the items you listed. Let the gratitude wash over you and fill your heart, mind, and life with good things. It's the best drug you will ever find.
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