How To Live With A Sense Of Wonder
5 ways to live with creativity (and peace) while drowning in the busyness of life.
At the beginning of 2024, I had a fixed schedule of going for a walk just after logging off from work. I almost always ran into a toddler who would be busy making the most of his outside playtime with his mother. Little things like leaves, the sky, dogs on the street, and a puddle at the side of the road fascinated him.
The sense of wonder children live with has always intrigued me. But I also can’t figure out how and why we all lose this precious feeling while growing up. Most of my life to date was spent on autopilot. Things have changed since. Life has gotten more busy, but there is still room for creativity and peace.
This week, I am here to remind you (and myself, since I have been feeling a little uninspired to write lately) that you don’t have to mourn the loss of ‘wonder’ in your life. You are allowed to welcome it back with open arms anytime you like.
Here are five ways I have done it in the past. (and you can too)
Embrace silence
Let the voice inside your head quiet down to listen to what your surroundings have to say. A calm mind is more equipped to welcome thoughts beyond the to-do lists. That is the first step towards living with a sense of wonder.
Stay away from your phone
You can start your day with a clean slate every morning. Why do you feel the need to burden yourself with irrelevant information right from the second you wake up then? Instead, be intentional about activating your senses for at least 10 minutes after waking up. From the moment your feet touch the floor to drawing back the curtains as the sunlight touches your face- take it all in.
The more at peace you are, the more wondrous your life will be.
Look forward to the ordinary
Life comes with tons of simple moments. We spend so much time anticipating extraordinary events that we forget to appreciate what’s right in front of us.
First sip of morning coffee. A road covered with dense trees. The flowers on the sidewalk on your way to work. These unnoticed little things are more than just a feeling of comfort. They serve as a gateway for a life where you can absorb new knowledge and truly appreciate the world for the goodness it holds.
Move
Step outside for walks. Look up at the sky. Observe people living life. Savour the food you eat. If you fall in times of challenge, find the courage to get right back up (trust me, it’s possible!).
Keep grooving to life as it unfolds in front of you.
Keep moving.
Stop being rigid
Maintaining a routine is how I survive most of my days. But sometimes, you need to let go of that rigidity to embrace the chaos. You should not have to live the same day over and over again and call it a life. Mundane is good, but life’s even better if it’s mixed with a few moments that push you to think about it beyond the constraints you believe you have to live with. As kids, we don’t have these constraints which is also when this feeling of wonder dominates our existence.
Do you still live a wondrous life?
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I love these tips. I must finally start my lunch walk idea. And I too think it's been too long a time since I looked at the sky, like really look and not just to wonder if it'll rain :)
Life is full of wonder, my toddler reminds me daily, but I the adult mainly are be-wondered by her. I guess that's good too!
Really loved these reminders, thank you for sharing it! I feel like so much of this starts in the mornings for me, if I give myself time to feel peaceful and reconnect it makes such a difference for the rest of the day