As we grow up and life happens to and around us, we often lose our wonder. The awe and wonder of life inspires us, lifts our hearts, and changes our perspective. Last week I was reminded that I needed to learn to look through the eyes of a child. I remember pushing my eldest daughter along in her push chair when she was a toddler and she was looking up at the trees and was transfixed by the leaves. It was a joy to watch and experience.
Wonder –taking the time to appreciate, be inspired by, and drink in the things around us so that they touch our souls. Wonder ignites the curiosity in us that you need as leaders to keep learning from the situations you face. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, think about what touches you at the heart level, what refreshes your soul?
“The question is not what you look at, but what you see.” – Thoreau
As a leader you may find yourself in a place where you haven’t much to give. Many leaders I talk to have found recent events have caused them to question what they are doing and why they are doing it. A change of perspective to once again connect with wonder, is key to a renewal and refreshing of vision and purpose for all of us.
Wonder is less about what you are looking at and more about learning to see things like you did the first time. We notice less because we become comfortable with what we see. Curiosity is a child-like quality which moves you to look for different explanations and options as you carry out your role as a leader. It enables you to look beyond what is in front of your eyes and ask, ‘how else can this be done?’
As you look at those you lead, curiosity asks the question, ‘what else is going on here that I am not seeing?’ People are rarely just what they present, so how will you as a leader create an environment of wonder that empowers your team to celebrate the best of each other and challenge to go higher?
To encourage you to look at things differently here are a few fascinating facts about the world you live in that I hope will inspire you to look for the extraordinary in the ordinary:
- There are 12 times more trees on earth than stars in the Milky Way! Scientists estimate there are between 200 – 400 billion stars in our galaxy while there are an estimated 1 trillion trees on Earth.
- Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
- Scientists estimate that there are 100 billion stars in our Milky Way and 100 billion galaxies in the universe.
- Despite the huge amount of snow that falls no two snowflakes are the same.
- Finally, it is amazing that, starting from one cell, we as human beings are made up of 100 trillion cells fully formed.
Our world is full of wonder if we have the right perspective to see it.
To lead well we must take care of our well-being. Take time to feed that part of you that can wonder – may it refresh you for the journey.
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.
It matters that you don’t just give up.”
― Stephen Hawking
Stay safe.
