W is for Wonderment: A-Z of Simple Living
This January, we're taking an in-depth look at the why and how of simplicity with the A-Z of Simple Living. If you want to make 2015 the year you create a simpler, slower life, why not join us?
------
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” -- W.B. Yeats
Simple living is many things. It's:
- a commitment
- decluttering
- making green choices
- tilting, rather than balancing
- unplugging
But it's also beauty and wonder and joy. Because if not for beauty; for unexpected moments of joy or delight; creativity and wonderment, then what are we working for?It goes against the grain of our 'efficiency and productivity at all costs' society, but taking time to wonder and making space for wonder is one of the keys to a simpler, happier, more satisfied life.
Wonder of Curiosity
Take time to think and question, to be curious and to ask how? Why? Who?Albert Einstein once said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” And it's when we stop questioning that we lose the beauty of discovery.If we didn't question, we would not have the opportunity to marvel at exactly why the sky is blue, or how a bird's skeleton is hollow, or the fact that children laugh over 300 times a day while adults manage around 15 giggles.These things, and the world around us, hold such incredible beauty and wonder. If we stop being curious though, we miss out.
The Wonder of Tiny Moments
Dewdrops on a spiderweb, the rise and fall of a sleeping child's chest, the lacework of shadows on the lawn, the way you and your partner can share a joke and just feel love, the plant flowering in the middle of a 4-lane freeway, the sky's precise shade of lavender as the sun sets, the ridges and peaks of a knuckle, the warmth of your breath as it passes out your nose.Take time to notice them.
The Wonder of Enormous Ideas
The sheer size of the night sky, the way music can bring an arena of ten thousand people together, the ocean, unconditional love, the way the least fortunate among us can be the most giving, Earth's rotation, forgiveness from a child, wisdom.Let your mind go there. Wonder brings awareness. It brings gratitude for what we have and where we are right now. It allows us to bask in a very real beauty, even just for a moment. And best of all - it's not reliant on how much you earn, where you live, what you wear or how many friends you have. Wonder and beauty are everywhere.And the fact that you can find it in Tel Aviv, Chicago, Bangkok or Wellington is one of the greatest levellers there is. We all have capacity for wonder.