The Tent of Wonder

“I wonder if butterflies are actually flies? They have the word fly in their name so they must be!” My five year old asked me this question recently. I looked into her eyes and I saw the tent of wonder rising in her big brown eyes. It made me think of the importance of just sitting with ourselves and doing nothing, allowing curiosity to enfold into our to do lists that run through our minds, waiting for the wonder to nudge at our senses. In the dictionary the definition of wonder is a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable. How wonderful! Wonder can be the root of all discoveries. If we didn’t have wonder to spark the research, our world would not have evolved the way it has.

The wonder is still here, even as adults and we often think and ask questions about the big stuff. However, these musings can often be saddled with responsibility and apprehension. The heavy pressure of fiscal responsibilities can sneak in. The wonder may shift from being curious to, how much money can I make if this wonder actually evolves into a product? What if we went back to our childhood roots to just wonder for the sake of something beautiful, unexpected, or unfamiliar? What if we wonder just to be curious?

I wonder what it would be like to sit by the ocean, with the sun breathing down on my skin while I write in my journal with nowhere to go and nothing to do. I wonder what it would feel like to score the winning goal for Team Canada. I wondered today about how a building comes together with so many minds working together. Why do so many musical artists feel the need to sing about the same four ideas? What will I write about next? I wonder about serendipity, deja vus, and the miracle of the internet. Circuses are another source of my wonder with the magic and illusions. All of these marvels of the circus, music, internet, people, etc. were creative and successful all because a seed of fascination was planted.

Our world is interwoven with mystery. The wonder is there! We are all a part of something much bigger and we can be influenced by so many things. What if we were influenced by the curiosity of the world around us rather than society? Awe can be a source of positivity and joy in our lives if we just let it for no reason at all. Authentic experiences might become authentic again instead of forced. If we stick with the wonder enough that we would do it for free, something amazing might just blossom into fruition. We could learn a few things from the kids.

Rejuvenation and a sense of renewal tends to follow our wonder if we work on being truly present in the moment. For example, if you are doing a mundane task such as laundry, try noticing the wonder that came from the evolution of the washing machine. Recognize the soothing sound of the drum rolling the clothes around in the machine and the comforting warmth of the freshly dried clothes on your skin as you pull them out of the machine. Notice the smell and how the soap runs down from the top of the washer to penetrate each piece of clothing like rain on a window. This mundane task infused with wonder can change our perspective and in turn make us a lot happier about regular events.

Make the most of what comes from wonder. As Susan Cain states in her book, Quiet, build things, inspire others, think big. She asks us to train ourselves to spend energy on what is truly meaningful to you instead of looking for a quick buzz of money or status or excitement. Let wonder be the reason and then see where the residue leads you.

Cain, S. (2012). Quiet:The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking (p. 170). New York City: Broadway Paperbacks.