Set your childlike wonder free
You know when we were children we could spend hours looking at ants moving stuff around. We could be amazed by the wind playing with leaves. The very sight of a rainbow let us drop what we were doing and stand still, just staring in trance at the miracle the rain brought us. What happend? What changed? To make us numb to those tiny little wonders.
In this day and age we measure ourselves by what we can do and by what we’ve accomplished. We measure the greatness of our lives by the amount and price of products we can buy. Everybody knows that happiness can’t be bought and money doesn’t make you happy. The key is to find out what does. I don’t know the big answer either, but I’m on this age old quest for true happiness like everybody else.
To kickstart my childlike wonder I like to take baby steps. Just sit on my balcony. Look at the world around me. See what jumps to my attention and stand still for a moment. Like a child staring in wonder at the rainbow. I soak in the image I see and try to find my little wonder.
When I got to hot from the sun I wanted to create a little shade. I pulled out my shadow cloth and started figuring out how to make my seating area more comfortable. Without knowing it I had triggered my inner child. When I was finished putting it up, I sat down. Looking up at my work I noticed I had been building my own little fort. Like we made blanket forts when we were little. It brought more joy and childlike wonder than I thought I had in me.
Having gotten the taste of my joyful afternoon I stayed in my little fort. The little bubble I had created for myself gave a sense of calm. By the time the sun was lowering I decided to pull down my fort and enjoy the view a little more. I wanted to see the sunset, which has always ignited my childlike wonder. Al the colors reflected in the sky is always truly a beautiful sight. Before I even got the chance to see my beautiful sunset, a surprise rose on the horizon. Quite literally. A hot air balloon rose from the trees and drifted into the sunset. I couldn’t help but sit still for a moment and enjoy this wonderful surprise that floated onto my path.
The bottom line is: Life is full of little wonders which we can enjoy. We just have to stop running and start walking. Maybe we even have to stand still for a moment to cherish the moment. Because if we keep running, we will run past the moment and all we can do is look back on the moments that could’ve been ours.