Finding Awe & Wonder In Everyday Life

There is a temptation to continually seek out peak experiences. To always be searching for awe and wonder, only be saddened when everyday life comes up short.

But what if we made the mundane a meditation?

The reality is that most of life is ordinary. But there is wonder to be found, if we stop taking things for granted and if we know how to look.

This talk explores how slowing down and reframing our focus and attention can help us rediscover and appreciate the subtle wonder all around us.

Transcript

What if we were to make the mundane into a meditation? Is a temptation in life, Too. Hunt or to search for. And wonder, And spiritual connection, And these peak moments of experience. Indeed, If you jump online or if you talk to people, That's what we share. No one's sitting there, Really. Talking about the day-in, Day-out grind of simple existence. No, We share our holidays, We share our weddings, We share our incredible experiences, The unique things that stick out. So it makes sense that we would start searching for those events in our life and feel a bit let down when, In everyday life, The awe and wonder simply doesn't show up. But the meths doesn't check out. Not every moment can be a peak experience, Because if it was, Those too would become mundane. But in real life. In everyday life. In. A non-fiction universe. The mundane is life. Every day we wake. Every day we clean. Every day we go through our daily ablutions. Every day is. Well, Quite similar. That doesn't mean that we can't find awe and wonder in everyday life. Or indeed every moment of our life. What if we made the mundane a meditation? What if we made this moment and every moment an opportunity for wonder? There's many ways to approach this. The first one is conceptual. Consider what was needed for you to hear these words right now. Seriously. There has to be a vast interconnected network of technologies fueled by the passions of people that you'll never meet. All connected. To bring this talk to you. Power Grits. Internet. A technology connection chain that has Well, Minerals end. Production facilities, And a variety of other supply chains that span the globe. There is wonder in the fact. That we are connected in such a way. Look around your house. Go and get yourself some water from the tap. Consider the amazement at the fact that water can come from that tap. Something so commonplace, So mundane, And yet. . . It's quite miraculous. Basically free. Clean. Running water. Whenever you like. Consider your clothes. Your car. All the different things you own. Things you take for granted. There is wonder in awe. Be considered in the vastness. Of the human. Achievements. And take a look outside. Observe nature. Animals. The Wind. The clouds. Grouse. Whatever it is. Witness the fact that those things exist. See it clearly. Witness it as if you've never witnessed it before. Yeah, You've seen clouds before, But not those clouds. You've heard birds before, But not that bird in that moment. There is an all. And wonder to everything. If you observe it with a beginner's mind. A child's mind. The Mind of a Scientist with curiosity. Turn that attention to yourself. And consider your very next breath. The fact of breathing is amazing. Consider it beyond that. What if this next breath, This very next breath, Was your first or your last? How wondrous would it be! How incredible would it be? How much attention would you pay to it? Try it now, Take that one breath. And take another. What if we made the mundane a meditation? Consider doing the dishes. Or the next time you do. And when you do, Feel the warmth of the water upon your skin. Really feel it. Be there for it. Watch as your actions transform dirty into clean. Moving from one side of the sink to the other. When your mind wanders, Bring it back. And recognize not only the transformation. But the fact that your actions can change the world. Yes, In a small way. Nonetheless, You can impact change upon the world. But beyond all of this. Take a moment and simply sit in silence. Because the converse too. All of this searching for big moments of awe is the subtle brilliance of this moment now. Of science. We have such access to the world, Such access to this voyeuristic view of other people's wondrous moments that we forget something important. We stop looking, We stop sitting, We stop being in the silence of our own existence and we lose something. Beyond the quiet, Beyond the boredom, Beyond. All the things that will come up your own thoughts. In silence is something more. Something deep and something profound. And it's something that, Unless we actively allow, Is lost every day. Silence. A chance for everything to set. Even this talk and other like it. Whilst it may be. Beneficial. Educational. Or dare I say. . . Point you in the path towards something greater. It is still, Nonetheless, Noise. I say that the. . . Most direct path to the Self is to simply sit. If we're searching outside of ourselves for awe and wonder. Looking for God, Looking for beauty, Looking for. . . Peak moment of experience, We are missing the thing that's right in front of us. That is us. Ourselves in silence. I encourage you now. Pause. To set a timer for five minutes. And simply sit. Allow it all to settle. And you'll begin to notice the small things. Things that have been taken for granted. Things that go unseen. You will start to notice awe and wonder that is available to you in everyday life. Try it now. I'll see you in the next one.