Have you retained your childlike sense of wonder?
When you were a child, each new morning and each new day brought a sense of wonder and excitement of what you would experience and do that day.
It was a time of learning and everything was there to be experienced. They were happy times because you couldn’t wait to see what happens next.
Little things became the most interesting topics in your mind. Something as mundane as a carrot, or piece of toast with a banana with different toppings led to a sense of excitement and anticipation of finding out:
What did it taste like
What did it look like
Did you like to texture and feel of this ‘thing’ under consideration
You never stopped wondering, what, why or, how did you?
As children, we never tired of learning or wanting to learn what these new things were in our lives, experiencing and making a decision whether we liked it or not did we? Even as babies tasting new foods for the first time, we would welcome the interesting that was put to us on a spoon, but soon spat out a new food if it didn’t taste or feel good to our senses.
We learnt what we liked and and we also decided 'no' from a very young age what we didn’t. Nevertheless it did not put us off continuing to try out hundreds of new things each and every day with a sense of wonder about what might come next.
So, fast forward the years of childhood, and the many thousands if not millions of bits of information and learning we have gained so far. We are now in adulthood, and the pressures that come with being an adult.
Do we still continue to learn and look forward to each and every day of experiencing new ‘stuff’ and gaining new insights? or has that brain of ours said enough, I have work to do, I am tired, I need to look after my family and I just haven’t go the spare time or brain space to learn anything new.
Do we look forward to times of learning opportunities to go out and see the mundane world that we perceive we live in as a place of wonderment and endless opportunities?
As we look forward in the very near future to the dawn of a New Year I have seen many people on Social Media post about their New Year Resolutions and intentions.
Many family and friends that I have chatted to are already anticipating that their New Year aims will be shot to pieces before the end of January….
Why then I said to myself if you have such an attitude why make a resolution at all? Instead of building the blocks one by one, why do we attempt to tear down the initial blocks before they have had a chance to grow?
It came to me that this is what it is like to have lost or are losing your sense of wonderment of what might be, could be, or the possibility of.
So, now that I have put into words my thoughts for the day and in preparation of my sharing my New Year intentions with my loved ones, I would like for you to join with me in a commitment to regain some of that sense of childlike wonder that as crusty adults we have lost or has diminished in our day to day lives.
Share with your friends and family and children and grandchildren if you have them, what exciting stuff you are hoping for and what the promise of this beautiful natural world brings. It may be something a small as contemplating, and changing small things in your daily lives, so that that your 'sense of hope' and 'childlike wonder' increases.
So for now, be kind to one another, for it is what it is and we are what we are. Self sabotage is never the way and who knows what possibilities lie ahead if you take a leap of faith each day as Children do.
