Training our minds to be thankful
Years ago while taking a walk near our vacation cottage on Lake Chelan, I saw an unusual tree trunk. The markings on the tree resembled the face of a deer. I took a photo of it with my iPhone.
Ever since, I have been mindful of trees, rocks and leaves in which I see facial features of animals or humans. I even published a book titled “Faces in the Forest” featuring photos of my favorite finds.
After years of training myself to look for faces in nature, it’s uncanny. I now see faces without even trying to find them. They are everywhere. Rocks and leaves on the ground look up to me as if to engage me in conversation.
Markings on tree trunks that resemble faces find me clicking away with smartphone. (Don’t worry, I don’t speak to them). But the process of finding faces in unexpected places over a lengthy period of time has taught me an important lesson. We can train our brains to be selective in what we see and experience.
My friend Mark Batterson makes note of the power of mind-training in his new book “A Million Little Miracles.” In a chapter that deals with learning to recognize everyday blessings in our lives, he suggests using a gratitude journal. He writes, “When you keep a gratitude journal, you train your brain to notice everyday miracles. It creates a category in your reticular activating system for any and every blessing.”
Based on the research Mark has done, he has come to discover there is a neurological process by which pathways in the brain are created such that repeated discoveries are more easily trafficked.
In his book, Mark continues, “When you train yourself to identify things you’re grateful for, like a game of ‘I Spy,’ those neural pathways get larger and stronger.”
Although much of Mark’s book deals with the intricacies of the human body and the microscopic miracles inside of us that keep us alive, his book has done more than educate me. It has also sensitized me to the miracles I often take for granted around me. Mark, who pastors a megachurch in Washington, D.C., has turned me on to seeing these daily blessings as everyday miracles.
There is an old gospel hymn we sang in my pastor-father’s church this time of the year. It was called “Count Your Blessings.” The title of the hymn conveys the essence of the lyrics. Making note of all those things for which we are grateful takes mental math to a new level.
Intentionally adding up everyday blessings causes us to focus on a bottom line that in turn finds us looking up. When you have trained your brain to look for God’s goodness in your life, you start seeing evidence of His blessings all the time.
When I began documenting faces in unexpected places several years ago, I never realized how easy it would be to see them without looking for them on my daily walks. And the same is true now that I have begun to see God’s goodness all around me. With each new day I have every reason to believe I will see the countenance of the Creator as I continually encounter God’s “smile” all around me.
As we gather with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day, there will likely be an opportunity to reflect on blessings in your life for which you are most grateful this year. In our family “blessing-counting time” takes place between a second helping of turkey and all the trimmings and the all-important pumpkin pie.
Regardless of when it is observed in your family, taking time to reflect on our blessings provides space to acknowledge God’s grace and make note of those everyday miracles. Remembering and adding up what you want to share will likely take a little time. But that exercise in mental math might just possibly be the sweetest part of your meal.
• The Rev. Greg Asimakoupoulos is a former Naperville resident who writes about faith and family.