Recapture the Sense of Awe and Wonder

Last we met, we promised to help you recapture the sense of awe and wonder in life. It’s not easy but the results will be worth it. And no, we are not advertising fitness or gym services. Though, the tag line would fit like a glove. The sense of awe and wonder is not restricted to only children, but it is considerably easier to hold on to it at that stage in life.

Well, never say never. Are you ready? Let’s set off on this journey to explore the avenues that will lead us to that space of wonder. Where shall we start? Set aside some time every day for indulging your mind and brain. Some time doesn’t have to mean half your day or sacrificing your me time or nap time. It’s as much time as you can set aside from your day.

Next step – find a hobby. No, scrolling on Instagram or Facebook or LinkedIn or any of those sites does not count as a hobby. Even if you do it in your free time. Find something that you probably wanted to try when you were younger or something that fascinates you – painting, for example. Or even writing a journal. Or a physical activity like gardening or pottery. Pick your choice.

If you don’t have the time for a hobby or time constraints restrict your ability to indulge in a physical hobby – there is an alternative, perhaps an even better one.  Just let your mind wander. That’s right – wander. Try to imagine a story or something fascinating about the things that you see. Here are some examples to start you off:

• Why is that gate in the fence always left unlocked even though there is a board proclaiming “No Entry” right next to it?
• How does the sky turn pink only at dawn and dusk even though the sun rays are supposed to be yellow, not red? And why doesn’t it turn green – come to think of it, that would be logical: blue skies, yellow sun rays … you get the drift
• If you can spend more time with young children, grab that chance. Try spending time answering children’s questions and wondering about things right alongside them. It really gives you a different view on the world. 
• And if you find a fellow adult with their sense of wonder still intact, (wow, are you lucky) grab on to them like they were the Yeti of the Himalayas (Those are some really rare folks) and cultivate a friendship with them right away. You are what you eat, sorry, what you surround yourself with.
• If White is the opposite of black, what would be the opposite of Grey (Choose any one of the 50 shades)

Here’s something else we love doing – Think of what ifs…. What if a guava seed and an orange seed fell into the same flowerpot by mistake? Would you get a guava tree and an orange tree or a tree that created a hybrid variety of a guava and orange? The logical part of your brain might tell you that these questions are pointless and silly. Well, they are meant to be.

And if you feel like the sense of wonder is not productive or feels like whiling away time, remember Sir Isaac Newton. What if he had thought of things like productivity and gain like us and just walked away cursing the apple tree when the apple fell on his head? It was his sense of wonder about why the apple didn’t just stay stuck to the tree or suspended in mid-air that led to the discovery of gravity.