5 ways to awaken your sense of wonder today

on 11-13-2014

Go ahead and read the definition of wonder out loud — that would be out loud, out loud. Mouthing, whispering and muttering don’t count.

Why? Because when you speak these words of wonder, it’s like getting reacquainted with a spirited, spontaneous friend — one you love being around but occasionally lose touch with during the chaos of everyday life.

Surprise. Admiration. Beautiful. Unexpected. Unfamiliar. Inexplicable.

Wonderful.

What’s the fastest way to flip your wonder switch?

Read Albert Einstein’s observation and think about

how often you acknowledge miracles in the landscape of your own life.

Einstein_miracle

Starting now, commit to finding and naming one miracle a day.

Here are a few everyday miracles for your lookout list —

from changing seasons to your wondrous body.

Louis CK is right on when he says,

“Everything is amazing right now, and no one is happy.”

His hilarious musings on how quickly our society

takes wonders for granted are a welcome wake up call.

Two words: Get outside.

Make that 4 words: Get outside without technology.

That means no phone snapping photos of sunlight ricocheting through the leaves, and no music playing through headphones to overpower the sound of raindrops.

When you get out-of-doors and outside yourself, wonder takes root.

Performance philosopher Jason Silva riffs on the consequences of staying trapped within our comfort zones. He believes we actually have a responsibility to awe. After you watch this SHOTS OF AWE episode, I think you will, too.

Curiosity rocks.

A lifetime of learning feeds your head, fuels your soul and can even make time slow down. (You really like that last one, don’t you? Me, too. Read more about the time-taming power of learning new things in this ELLE Magazine article.)

Think of yourself as an explorer on a lifelong expedition. What are you curious about? Here’s some food for thought — a round-up of resources to pique your curiosity: