Living with Curiosity & Wonder
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On a recent trip to Colorado, I found myself outside every single day. With my pal, Fred the Wonder Dog, by my side, I’d go on long hikes and get lost in the woods. It was in these moments that I would be present to the world around me and open to discovery.
I love going off the beaten path and exploring the world around me.
I never know what I’m going to find or what messages I’m going to receive from nature. I feel a sense of freedom and ease. I’m free to be me, explore, take notice of what’s around me, and listen intently. I like to imagine how old the trees are, how certain plants got there, and what animal killed the animal whose bones I find spread across the ground…It opens me up to curiosity and wonder.
Curiosity & Wonder is one of the core values I live by, and one I invite my clients to try on when they commit to living authentically. It’s one of the qualities that I loved about my Grandma. She lived every day with a sense of childlike wonder. She would notice each of the birds in her yard and appreciate how plants and produce are intricately created. She would try new recipes that she was curious about and always find joy in each creation. After she died, I knew I wanted to carry her essence with me, so I got the word “Wonder” tattooed on my forearm. It serves as a reminder to tune into her spirit and keep my values at the forefront.
CURIOSITY & WONDER
I seek to embody a sense of playfulness in a light-hearted, free-spirited manner to bring forth that which is hiding or being hidden within through eyes of curiosity and wonder. I look to new discoveries with a willingness to try on new ways of being inspired by my own creative self-expression.
Even when COVID hit and I found myself grounded in Dallas, I found myself outside exploring my sister’s neighborhood. I would go on long walks, turn down streets that connect to other neighborhoods, and climb the fence to reach the creek. This morning I took my nieces on a walk and witnessed them experience the neighborhood with that same sense of curiosity and wonder.
“A blue jay!”
“Woh! Look how big that tree is!”
“The clouds are so fluffy today!”
What we as adults may take for granted, children notice and find joy. It caused me to think about my childhood and what I enjoyed doing—playing outside, getting lost in the woods, baking, creating dream worlds with my brother, riding my bike, playing teacher…just to name a few.
It’s no wonder that I’m an explorer at heart, living a nomad life and traveling the world.
This got me curious about others and wondering if they have the same experience of living out their childhood activities. I posed the question on my Facebook page:
What was your favorite activity as a child?
I got back more than 80 comments! The responses have been really fun to read, and I can feel the excitement. I can sense that for some it brought back fond, happy memories.
Riding my bike - Reading - Playing outside with friends - Exploring in the woods - Making up stories - Playing Teacher - Camping - Drawing - Roller Skating - Swimming - Riding Horses - Playing Games - Dancing - Making up games - Street Hockey - Football - Building Forts
Many people noted that they still find themselves enjoying the same activities as when they were a child. While others have lost sight of the activity, their responses sparked curiosity of what it would be like to relive again. Riding a horse and playing street hockey would certainly be fun as an adult!
It also piqued my curiosity in wondering how kids today would respond. With all of the technology we have, would reading still be a favorite activity?
My littles definitely enjoy using their imaginations to build forts, play make-believe, draw and create art. I look forward to seeing who each of my littles grow up to be and discover how their favorite activities shape what they do in the future.
When I’m living inside of Curiosity and Wonder, I am more self-expressed, open, and light-hearted about things.
Things that occur as problems have less weight when I’m viewing life from this filter. There’s more ease and room for discovery. When I’m stuck in the filter of “Everything is Wrong”, I can simply remind myself to be curious about what life is teaching me. So whether I’m out exploring deep in the woods or sitting at my desk creating, I can live with a sense of curiosity and wonder.