Write down in your Book of Wonder three stories that are important to you. They might be books, films, or anecdotes passed down in your family (the time grandma disgraced herself after three glasses of sparkling wine at your cousin’s wedding; how your parents met), or memorable things that happened to you. You might be inclined to write down only a short sentence or title, such as ‘Charlotte’s Web’ or ‘that epic night in Barcelona’; or you might want to narrate the stories in a longer format.
Then look at the three stories and ask yourself: how have those stories impacted on my life – in good ways and bad? Examine both sides: even your favourite story will have its negative effects.
For each story, write down at least four ways in which it has influenced your life – two positive ways, and two negative.
Find a character you love and trust – it could be Mary Poppins, Jack Skellington, Aragorn or Elizabeth Bennet. For the next month, imagine that this character is entirely real, and let him or her help you. When you are feeling unsure about something, ask yourself what the character might suggest you do. Try to catch a glimpse of the character in the street, in bars, at work, out of the corner of your eye.
Make a note in your Book of Wonder of all the ways that character has helped you out in the past, and of the ways the character is helping you out in the present.
If you happen to meet the character, and maybe even have a conversation, describe the encounter in your Book of Wonder.
For a week, or longer, meditate on the moon. Go into your garden, or to a place where you can look at her, and gaze at her for at least five minutes every time, setting a timer in advance. If the moon is not visible every night for a week, keep trying until you have done the meditation at least seven times.
During the meditation, think of the moon as a goddess (you might want to call her Diana). Look at the face of the moon as you would the face of a friend. Acknowledge her presence with a nod. If you hear her voice in your head, in the form of thoughts and ideas, be sure to answer. Make a note in your Book of Wonder.
Forget all of your existing ideas about what books, films and stories are ‘good’ and which are not so. Forget all your preconceived notions of what constitutes good taste. If pleasure was your only guide, what would you read, what would you watch? Note down your choices in your Book of Wonder. Be entirely honest!
Then examine your choices. How different are those books and films from the ones you usually read and watch? And what do these stories all have in common? Do they suggest that something is lacking in your life?
Write down three statements about aspects of your personality that matter a great deal to you. For example: ‘I am loyal’.
Then find episodes from your life that run counter to that.