Book Explores Gratitude for the World in a Cup of Coffee
Brandon Sun, September 9, 2019 - David McConkey
Have you ever considered
all the people involved in bringing you your morning cup of coffee?
I mean everyone: from the farmer to the shipper to the staff at the
grocery store or coffee shop? Have you ever thought of expressing
your gratitude to all those folks? American writer A.J. Jacobs does
that with his new book: Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey.
You may have heard of Jacobs – he’s the writer who conducts his life
as a series of experiments. In one, he spent a year strictly
following the Bible. “The Year of Living Biblically” became a book
and also a TV series.
His latest effort was sparked by his fascination with the notion of
gratitude. He reports that gratitude – regarded by ancient Stoic
philosophers as a major virtue – is a modern-day wonder. Being
grateful is a psychological boon: “it can lift depression, help you
sleep, improve your diet, and make you more likely to exercise.”
Jacobs points to one study finding “gratitude is the single best
predictor of well-being and good relationships.”
Why aren’t we more grateful? Jacobs notes that evolution favoured
humans who were alert to what was going wrong. There was no
evolutionary advantage for those who were grateful for what was
going right. That worked well for the survival of our ancestors, but
today means we are awash in anxiety. “We spend far too much time
fretting about what we’re missing instead of focusing on what we
have.”
Jacobs figures that he was “mildly to severely aggravated” more than
half the time, which was “a ridiculous way to go through life.”
Deciding he needed “a mental makeover,” he thought a personal
gratitude project could do the trick. He resolved to thank all the
people who were responsible for his morning cup of coffee, which he
gets at a café near his apartment in New York City.
His gratitude journey took him to many locations, meeting – and
thanking – people who played a part in his cup of coffee. Included
were those who staff the coffee shop, make the paper cup and plastic
lid, and transport and roast the coffee beans. He travelled to
Colombia and visited coffee farmers. He met workers who ensure
health and safety like inspectors and manufacturers of cleansers.
And he went to a reservoir and treatment facility that provide the
city with water. Coffee is, after all, 99% water.
Jacobs cautions that gratitude should not be confused with
complacency. Coffee is a big business with a huge global impact,
good and bad. Jacobs raises concerns about economic inequality; he
notes with approval that the café he patronizes pays above
fair-trade prices to their farmers. Another issue: billions of
coffee cups and lids are used and thrown away every year. Research
and ethical reflection prompt Jacobs to switch to a reusable
container for his own coffee.
Gratitude starts by slowing down and paying attention to what is
around us. “It’s hard to be grateful,” Jacobs says, “if we are
speeding through life.”
There are benefits to stopping and smelling the roses – or, in this
case –savouring a cup of coffee. Noticing a small simple thing can
open a window to seeing the big interconnected world. And brief
refreshing pauses can boost overall well-being. Jacobs quotes a
psychologist who compares gratitude with mindfulness, both of which
“can make our life’s petty annoyances dissolve away, at least for a
moment.”
Thanks a Thousand is short, informative and
entertaining. The book is on order at the Brandon Public Library. It
is published by TED Books, whose mission is to produce “small books
about big ideas.” Each of their books is paired with an 18-minute
(or less) TED Talk, available for free viewing online.
Paying attention and being grateful can be a chance for more
appreciation, more understanding and more moments of enjoyment.
Opportunities are there for us, all the time, at no cost. Inspired
by the book, I plan to practise this more in my own life, and I
invite you to consider it as well. Here’s an example: tomorrow take
a moment to be grateful for everyone helping us citizens exercise
our right to vote.
Oh, and one more thing: thanks for reading!
See also:
Thanks a Thousand . . . on Amazon.com
Effective Altruism Poised to Make Major Impact
Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Stories
How Can We Learn to Think and Argue Better?
Popular Right Now:
- 15 Tips for Healthy Eating
- Quality of Life, Well-Being Research Something We Can Feel Good About
- Diets Don't Work, So What Does?
- Political Contributions: Top Ten Canadian Tax Tips
- Nestle Fitness 14 Day Weight Loss Program; What is Wrong Here?
- Charitable Donations: Top Ten Canadian Tax Tips
Must Read Books:
The 4-Hour Workweek:
Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

What You Don't Know About Religion (But Should)

In Defense of Food:
An Eater's Manifesto

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up:
The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

Don't
Even Think About It:
Why Our Brains are Wired to Ignore Climate Change

Like This? Share It!
Press Ctrl + D to Bookmark!