Gratitude Is A Health Hack.
This is what I am grateful for.
In the United States, it is thanksgiving.
I assume most of you have better things to do than read long articles on the minutia of physiology and health - so I will keep this brief.
First, a perspective. Second, a gift.
Gratitude is health hack
Too often we consume our thoughts, actions, and ambitions with the intention of improving life for ourselves.
The ego is a powerful voice, and can often drown out the rest of our being. Particularly in a culture permeated by individualism and sovereignty, it is important to remember that what we do for others has both spiritual and material benefit to ourselves.
More important than the material benefit, is the spiritual return.
Anyone who doubts the impact of the spirit on the body is a fool.
Our spirit can be lifted, and our spirit can be broken. The material, physical and physiologic impact of a broken spirit is incalculable.
Thus, not only can our spirit be broken - but our spirit can break us.
While we are on a journey to understand and improve our physiology, it is equally (if not more) important to improve our spirit.
On this basis, I suggest and practice two things: gratitude and generosity.
I Am Grateful
For readers who have been on this journey with me from the beginning, you know damn well how difficult and turbulent the last few years of my life have been.
For those that don’t, read my pinned tweet:
The challenges my family and I have faced forced us to make difficult decisions in the short-term, in the hopes of reaping long-term benefits.
Every step of the way, we remind one another how grateful we are to be on this journey.
I am grateful for:
my wife and son
my parents and brother
my extended family
my close friends and colleagues
my readers, followers, and supporters
I am even grateful for those who have made my life difficult, because without them I would not be stronger.
Thank You
Thank you to all of you - y’all have continued to support my work for two years now!
I would not be able to keep this up if it wasn’t for you. You keep me accountable. You lead me down rabbit holes I would have otherwise not noticed. Some of you even pay for my time.
What more can a man ask for?
To all of my subscribers, here is an exclusive link for 30 days of access to all of my work:
To all of my paid supporters, I will be pausing all payments for the next billing cycle.
You don’t have to do anything on your end.
By no means will I stop writing, however - on the contrary!
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
The post resonates deeply with me today, and reminds me that even in a difficult moment it is possible to be grateful for all the multitude of blessings. Thank you very much for the inspiring words.
Grateful to have you in my world💕. During the last nearly four years, there have been many moments of despondency. It has become easier to stand firm in my beliefs because of you and similar substack writers. So, thank you. I am grateful.