Gratitude: A Healing Medicine Each of Us Carries Within Us

For more than three decades, one of the most fulfilling aspects of my professional life has been writing From the Heart. The idea wasn't mine originally. Back in 1993, my friend and mentor, Dr. Ben McCallister —the visionary founder of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute— encouraged me to start a newsletter that would allow us to communicate directly with patients about healthy living—not just prescriptions and procedures, but the habits, attitudes, and relationships that shape our wellbeing and happiness. I wasn’t enthused about taking on another work assignment at the time, but that simple suggestion from Ben, who was compellingly assertive in his charming and friendly manner, changed the course of my career.

Twice each year for the past 33 years, I've had the privilege of sharing what I've learned as a cardiologist, researcher, and fellow traveler through life. One lesson has become clearer with each passing year: good health is about far more than avoiding disease. It is about learning to flourish despite the inevitable stresses, disappointments, and losses that accompany every human life. A practice has consistently risen to the top of my own list of life-changing habits, and it doesn't cost a penny. Gratitude.

Like all of you, I have my own private struggles and disappointments. The past two years have shaken the foundation of my world like never before. For the first time in my life, I am living alone. Well ...not really alone. My beloved dog, Blue, is with me, and I've decided his middle name is Velcro because he follows me everywhere I go.

There is something profoundly healing about unwavering, unconditional love. Dogs, and perhaps above all mothers, have an extraordinary gift for offering it. They don't care whether we've had a successful day or a difficult one. They don't judge our mistakes or keep score. They simply remain steadfast, reminding us that we are worthy of love even when life feels

uncertain.

"Grant and Blue".

Even so, cataclysmic change and heartache have disrupted my life, and the uncertainty and new stressors have made me all the more aware of how essential healthy coping mechanisms are. Arguably, it has never been more difficult than it is today to protect our emotional well-being.

Throughout history, people believed emotions came from the heart. We now know they originate in the brain, but if you pay close attention, you can feel how overwhelming love, joy, grief, fear, or anger are experienced in the heart as much as in the mind. A joyful heart, an anxious heart, a broken heart—they are more than figures of speech. Our emotional lives are intimately tied to our cardiovascular health. That's one reason I try to intentionally cultivate emotions that heal rather than harm. Gratitude sits near the top of that list.

I have four wonderful children whom I adore, and a close and supportive extended family. I have a beautiful baby granddaughter Quinn. My wildly creative 13-year-old grandson Grant and I are best friends. I am eternally grateful to be in a profession that heals and it’s never been more gratifying because our drugs, procedures and strategies empower us like never before to prevent or fix most heart disease—still the #1 killer in America.

I have brilliant colleagues, loyal friends, thousands of patients and faithful readers who continually give me new insights and inspire me with their courage and resilience. I have the gift of good health and the privilege of waking each morning with purpose and enthusiasm.

Yet, when life becomes complicated, our minds naturally gravitate toward darker thoughts, what we've lost, what isn't working, our anxieties about the future, about what we wish had turned out differently. That's when I intentionally remind myself of my blessings.

One of my favorite gratitude rituals happens in the swimming pool. Several mornings each week, I'll swim outdoors for about 25 minutes during which I repeat a pattern of swimming freestyle for 3 laps then flip over and swim one lap on my back, looking straight up into the sky. I watch the clouds slowly change shape, while birds glide overhead. For a few peaceful moments, there is nothing to accomplish, nowhere else to be, and nothing to solve.

Sometimes I don't pray with words. I simply look upward and experience a deep sense of gratitude that I get to participate in this magnificent adventure called life on Earth. No matter my mood when I climb into the pool, I finish my swim feeling almost euphoric, grateful simply to be alive. I have discovered that awe and anxiety rarely occupy the same space in the human mind. When awe enters, anxiety quietly slips out the back door.

Modern science is finally catching up with what philosophers and spiritual traditions have understood for thousands of years. Gratitude changes us. Over the past decade, researchers have shown that people who regularly practice gratitude tend to sleep better, experience less anxiety and depression, enjoy stronger relationships, and report greater overall life satisfaction. Studies have also show gratitude might improve blood pressure and heart rate variability—a marker of a resilient autonomic nervous system—along with reducing stress hormones and inflammation. People who cultivate gratitude often become more physically active, eat healthier diets, and are more likely to engage in other behaviors that promote longevity. In other words, gratitude appears to improve health both directly and indirectly.

One fascinating aspect of gratitude is that it shifts our attention. Our brains evolved to scan constantly for danger. That survival mechanism kept our ancestors alive but can leave us worrying about problems that no longer threaten our existence. Gratitude gently redirects our attention toward what is already good and life-giving. That shift doesn't erase hardship. It simply reframes it as a difficult chapter or issue that will pass. In the middle of the night when I find myself tossing and turning—more aptly labeled rolling and ruminating—I try to think of things for which I am thankful. Gratitude is the antidote to rumination and worry.  

Experts on the topic say it is good to develop a simple daily gratitude practice. Before going to sleep each night, write down three things that went well during the day. They don't have to be extraordinary. A kind or encouraging conversation. A delicious and nutritious meal. A beautiful sunrise or sunset (remember, every one you see is one of a finite number you'll experience in your lifetime). A hug from your partner, friend or family member. A child’s or grandchild's laughter. A kiss from your dog. A phone call with a friend.

The more specific your gratitude, the more powerful the exercise becomes. Over time, something remarkable happens: your brain begins noticing blessings during the day because it knows you'll be looking for them that evening. Your attention changes. And eventually, your attitude about life changes with it.

I've also found that expressing gratitude directly to others may be even more powerful than simply feeling grateful. Tell your spouse/partner how much you appreciate them. Write a note to a teacher who changed your life. Thank a nurse, a colleague, or a neighbor. These small acts strengthen the relationships that give life its deepest meaning.

As a cardiologist, I've spent my career studying medications, procedures, and technologies that extend life. They are important, and many have transformed modern medicine. But some of the most powerful therapies don't come from a pharmacy. They come from habits like a walk in nature, investing in meaningful friendships, nurturing life around you, purposeful work, and restful sleep. And acts of kindness and gratitude.

When Ben McCallister encouraged me to write the first issue of From the Heart in 1993, neither of us could have imagined that 3 decades later, these newsletters would become as much a gift to me as I ever hoped they would be to others. Writing them has forced me to keep learning, to keep growing, and perhaps most importantly, to keep looking for reasons to be grateful. If these pages have helped you in some small way over the years, please know that you have helped me just as much. For that, I am deeply grateful.

Although many of the challenges in my own life remain unresolved, gratitude is helping me find my footing again. May each of us take a few moments today to notice the beauty that surrounds us, appreciate the people, animals, and plants that enrich our lives, and remember that every ordinary day is, in truth, an extraordinary gift. Gratitude won't eliminate life's hardships, but it has an almost magical way of putting them in perspective. Perhaps that's because gratitude doesn't change our circumstances nearly as much as it changes us.