Affirmation: “My life is wondrous, and I appreciate it every day!”
We often forget the wonder and awe with which we saw the world as children. Everything was exciting and new. Digging in the dirt was enthralling. Biking on a deserted street was an adventure. Trying a new kind of ice cream was a flavor-blasting treat. As you’ve gotten older, it’s likely that some of the wonder of life has faded. Daily responsibilities and the pressures of life might have dulled your experiences. Your focus may be less on enjoyment and appreciation and more on survival and managing tasks. That is okay. It’s natural and oh so common.
Sometimes bringing your attention to cultivating a sense of wonder can yield great dividends, like bliss, appreciating beauty, joy, and new zest for life. How might you be able to do that in your life? You could consciously choose to notice how amazing it is that your Zumba class of fifty people is completely dancing in unison. You could make a decision to appreciate the bald eagle you saw on the way to work. You could look with wonder into your own child’s eyes and marvel at their existence.
Your everyday world is filled with miraculous experiences. You type on a machine and instantaneously send your words anywhere in the world. You breathe in air, and it is broken into useable pieces and sent all through your body to give you life. At any moment, you could endeavor to learn to speak an entirely new language. How wondrous!
Exercise: Wonder Writing
It’s good to take a step back and look at the world from a new perspective. One way to do this is to write about your experiences in a way that’s different from how you normally would.
Get your journal and start an entry called “Wonder Writing.” List out the dates for the next week. Start with today. Think back on your day and view it with a child’s eyes. What wondrous thing did you experience today? Write it down.
Each night this week, go back and repeat this exercise. Then at the end of the week, read through and notice how amazing your life actually is. It’s beautiful! Find the wonder!
Extraordinary wonder and joy are woven through ordinary life. Hunt for them relentlessly.
#joyfulliving101