Prescription 3 : Bringing wonder back to life
Wanderlust’s wonder moment!
Do you remember being happy for a small chocolate bar that a neighbour gave you, or for a new outfit that your parents brought you, or for extra sweet you received from your older brother, or for being mesmerised by spring flowers and appreciating their various colours, or for having a good time with your friends and family or wondering if a rabbit was on the moon?
We all have these little moments from our childhood and we cherish them even now. But have you ever wondered where did that happiness go? Do we get excited for small little things even now? You may say that we are grown up and we can’t be happy for these silly little things now, we have bigger things to aim for! What if I say even if you achieve biggest of big dreams, you can’t be happy if you don’t bring wonder back to your life?
The third prescription from us to you is making Wonder part of your life from now on.
However, as you can see, since we adults have more important things to do, we have forgotten about ‘WONDER’. How do we take it all back? Watch the kids around you, then. They have a strong sense of curiosity. They are capable of appreciating the simple things and finding joy in them repeatedly.
Wonder originates from curiosity. Wonder is a term that has multiple meanings. It implies curiosity as well as a desire to know. It prompts inquiries on “how” and “why.” It enables us to completely appreciate everything around us.
You can see that children are always curious about almost everything. And they are open to experiences. Cultivating ‘Wonder’ is conscious decision and it involves unlearning the inflexible ‘I’ of what I know is right!
Noticing is the first step to wonder. Yes, we believe that we are aware of everything around us, but are we? You can use this as an exercise. You set aside 10 minutes once a day to notice things nearby and far away. It may be on your balcony, in the kitchen, at work, or on the way home. If you train your mind to focus on minute details, you can witness ants walking in a queue after carrying sugar from the floor. Perhaps you’ll love their marching speed! Or perhaps you’ll witness an elderly, charming couple walking together!
Believe me when I say that each of us has a fair share of issues to resolve and fresh challenges to take on. A few of us may be worried about the future, while others may be too bored to care. Some of us may be furious at life, while others may be sad. Everyone has the power to heal himself, overcome their issues, or cope with them; we don’t need to wait for others to charm us and ignite the spark within us.
Then what’s stopping us? It takes constant, conscious effort to bring the inner child back to our life! It takes work to maintain wonder in life. Let’s commit to make small, steady progress towards happiness.
Cultivating wonder makes us feel more alive and connected with people, animals, nature! Let’s see at simple things we can cultivate to bring wonder back to our life:
· Can we constantly remind ourselves to gaze up at the sky, witness the sunrise, look at the birds outside next time when we take a walk?
· Playing with kids: Whether it’s board games, pretend play, or any other kind of physical game, make sure you play with kids once a week. They really help you in restoring wonder to your life!
· Getting back in touch with nature, taking short hikes, and enjoying the environment around us while being mindful of the serenity you experience.
· Mind your eating: Develop the habit of enjoying your small bites and savouring every bite!
· Taking chances while maintaining a sense of wonder. Try a new cuisine, get up and dance if you haven’t before, and laugh heartily without thinking about other people
· Finally, learn to be patient and curious about each situation you meet and see how life unfolds!
So fellow humans, lets begin to integrate wonderment into our daily lives now!
