{"id":32101,"date":"2023-03-31T06:27:14","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T13:27:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=32101"},"modified":"2023-03-31T06:27:14","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T13:27:14","slug":"i-must-have-a-lot-of-dopamine-to-think-i-can-do-all-of-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/i-must-have-a-lot-of-dopamine-to-think-i-can-do-all-of-this\/","title":{"rendered":"I must have a lot of dopamine to think I can do all of this\u2026.\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Um, hello body\u2026. This is your captain speaking\u2026 is your transmitter that\u2019s regulating all of your body’s dopamine levels turned on? While I appreciated your initial interest and motivation – I wonder if you have maybe taken on too much. This is the conversation that I wanted to have with my body after reading this book. I think I’m broken.\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Dopamine is an essential neurotransmitter for controlling feelings and actions. When we accomplish tasks, get something we want, or engage in rewarding activities… endorphins are produced. Dopamine, as Daniel Lieberman writes in The Molecule of More, is crucial for experiencing pleasure and inspiration. He thinks that if we can learn to regulate our dopamine levels, we can become more efficient and happy in our daily lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Going back to the time where Jesus walked, people have pondered the difficulty of achieving and keeping happiness. Everyone has heard the myths about individuals looking for the “winning ticket” or the “perfect” existence. All of these are that needle in a haystack opportunity. Collectively as a cohort we are all pushing our bodies, mind and soul to complete a task few people in relation to the human count of the world complete.\u00a0 But suppose joy wasn’t so hard to find…\u00a0 Is it possible that happiness may be explained by reason alone? The author does a great job of\u00a0 \u00a0 analyzing the biology of what makes us happy and how we might utilize these results to improve our lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The “molecule,” or the neurotransmitter dopamine, is Lieberman’s major emphasis throughout the book. Our brains produce a chemical called dopamine when we complete a task or reach a goal. Some individuals may seem happier over others because they often partake in activities that produce a dopamine rush!<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some tasks that give you a rush? For me\u2026I have come up with the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n