Do You Ever Wonder?
“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than one closed by belief.” —Gerry Spence
Do you ever wonder how it will all turn out? When worry about the future grips your mind or a loved one’s thoughts, why not shift into wonder?
Wondering even sounds better than worrying, doesn’t it? Wondering engages the imagination and opens you up to exciting possibilities (and, yes, if you choose to go there, negative potentials too).
“Think! Think and wonder. Wonder and think.
How much water can fifty-five elephants drink?”
—Dr.Seuss, Oh, the Think You Can Think
Child-like wondering can bring much needed oxygen when we’re caught up in worry about what’s to come or feeling the despair of ‘knowing’ there is no way out of this situation.
Talking with friends last night about the state of the country (and our psyches), someone reminded us that next Monday is Memorial Day, so she asked if we’d still gather. I mentioned that I’ve been pondering (another great word like ‘wondering’) how this Memorial Day will be different. Woven with grief about what’s transpiring in the country, how will I engage (or not) with this Memorial Day?
When we ‘wonder’ or ‘ponder,’ it feels like we have breathing space to be with and process our emotions, develop a plan for moving forward (if needed), and come back into balance, if only for a few hours. Yes, our imagination can take us down dark roads anyway, but wondering allows the possibility of a lit pathway to reveal itself and breathe life into positive outcomes where once we only saw disaster.
What can you wonder about? Why not start with a positive leading statement like “I wonder what blessings will be revealed today,” or “I wonder how America can come out of this time better than ever, with more compassion, kindness, and prosperity for all.” I wonder.
May you be blessed with curiosity about what the future holds and be open to the possibility that all is really and truly well.
We Can Wonder
“There’s no way we can possibly understand anything. But we can see things, we can perceive things, and we can wonder. We can just be in a world of awe and wonder. That’s the best we can do.” —Frederick Lenz
Get Excited
“Stop worrying about what can go wrong and get excited about what can go right.”
—Unknown
Why YOU Were Born
“Isn’t it sad to go to your grave without ever wondering why you were born? Who, with such a thought, would not spring from bed, eager to resume discovering the world and rejoicing to be part of it?”
—Richard Dawkins
Carry It with You
Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
As summer travel season kicks off for many and you wander and wonder, we invite you to embrace Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wisdom. May you seek ways to let the beauty found in your travels abroad or in your neighborhood stay with you, transforming and strengthening your inner beauty and light. Happy Travels!
