“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow stronger” WB Yeats
I choose to believe we are all wondrous, and surrounded by wonder. But I often forget to notice the magic of the world around me. I get drawn into the minutae of my life…. And then, suddenly, whilst driving, I turn a corner, and see an enormous bright, creamy full moon directly above me in a dark, clear, city sky…or I drive over a bridge on my way home and see a skyline with a vast, mythical cloud formation, or, living in Toronto, I unexpectedly catch sight of the CN tower standing tall and majestic in-between buildings, or when I’m walking the dog I suddenly notice a young deer in the trees standing still and watching me. And I take a breath. I stop in my tracks.
Novelty, variety, and the unexpected allow us to remember we are alive. They wakes us up. Wonder gives us a sense of the vastness of things. The places we can’t even imagine with our human minds. It puts things in perspective. It is a re-set from the daily repetitive thinking we regularly live within.
That’s not to say the daily repetitive thinking is unnecessary or unneeded. Yet, moments of Wonder give us a bigger picture. They stretch us.
I want to notice wondrous things more, to invite in curiosity and pondering.
One of the key components of Wonder, I think, is its unexpectedness. The jolt it gives us. It’s different to gratitude, where we may intentionally focus on appreciation. It’s different from inspiration, which allows us to search for those experiences, people and places that can feed our energy. Wonder shocks us. It can bring tears to my eyes. I feel it in my body.
Even as I write this post and remember my experiences of wonder I feel an energy that wasn’t there when I sat down in front of the computer to write. My brain is being lit up with the memories.
So I encourage you to give yourself opportunities to notice the Wonder in your life. The moments that take you out of the busy, the worry, the boredom, the responsibility. The experiences that whisk you into your senses, awe-struck at the beauty, the impossibility, the incredibleness.
Wishing for you receptivity to the magic around you.
