With summer ending and a new season beginning, it gives us an opportunity to become present in our lives in a new way.
But how do we get present and find the wonder?
A reflection…a suggestion…and an opportunity…
I’m just returning from 2 weeks of being away from my everyday life. My first week away was spent at Camp GLP – (Good Life Project). This is a set in a beautiful location on a lake where adults come to play, connect, learn and revitalize. I slept in a bunk, practiced yoga, did arts and crafts, acted in a skit in the talent show, competed in color war, and attended workshops that were chock-full of inspiration and learning. The keynote speakers and workshop leaders are inspiring powerhouses in their areas of expertise and they are making a difference in the lives of many. You may also find them inspiring, so I’ve provided links to some of them here…
Susan Piver (Open Heart Project)
Aviva Romm (Midwife, Herbalist, MD)
AJ Leon (Pursuit of Everything)
Jonathan Fields (Good Life Project)
Derek Halpern (Social Triggers
Charlie Gilkey (Productive Flourishing)
Emiliya Zhivotovskaya (Positive Psychology Coach)
I was awe-inspired by many of the messages they shared, some of which included “Anyone can do this!” (Derek Halpern) “Thou shalt align thy actions with thy heart” (Jonathan Fields) “Your best work is medicine for the world” (Charlie Gilkey)…and so much more.
“Girls Bunk 3” – getting in the camp spirit! (pictured left)
I was also able to reconnect with a sense of wonder and wonderment in playing like a kid in color war (ok, winning helped make it that much better! GO GREEN!). Connecting with other like-minded beings in pursuit of meaning and excellence was a large part of the joy and wonder of the week. Over all, camp was a grown-up kid’s dream…and aren’t we all just grown up kids after all?
Cross-color team bonding amidst Green, Red and Blue (pictured right). In case you can’t tell from the picture, my hat had sequins and blinking lights. How’s that for team spirit?!
The following week, I went to New Orleans for the first time. I was there for work (great workshop, great turnout, great group!), and I had a nice amount of exploration time too. I again felt a sense of awe, this time in the simplest of things — the shape and texture of the trees there (have you ever noticed that they look like prehistoric furry creatures?), the New Orleans sky at dusk (like a wide open canvas of the most beautiful painting I’ve ever seen!), and even the layout of the city and architecture made me pause and appreciate.
My big, yet ever-so-simple, take away?
A reminder that life is filled with a multitude of wondrous, magical and special connections, profound beauty, and endless opportunities.
We don’t have to travel to find the wonder (although that can be a great way to tap back into ourselves and the world around us), but rather — we need to become present and mindful wherever we are in the world. In connecting to the awe and wonder of our every day lives, we re-invigorate our vitality.
Through actively seeking out the wonder that’s right in front of us all the time, we open ourselves to learning and loving again and again. And in learning and loving, we actively step into our humanness with a profound fullness and an experience of liberation.
Opportunity for finding the wonder: While walking today, look up at the sky and find 3 wonderful, awe-inspiring things about the the universe, your own body, a person you’ve connected with or some other aspect of life…they’re all all right here, right now awaiting you!
Note: It’s not always easy to seek out the wonder in the world (even though it is right in front of us), especially when the going gets tough. Sometimes we get stuck. That’s just a reality of the human experience. There are many ways to become unstuck. Not sure how? I’d love to support you…please reach out. Really.
With awe and wonder,
Rachel
