Pause to Wonder

“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”

— Albert Einstein

Think about everything we see on an average day. Most of the things we see aren’t ones that would be considered “beautiful” by most standards. After all, something as ordinary as a bookshelf or a pen isn’t particularly attractive to look at. These aren’t objects that we pause to admire. We may notice and even treasure the flowers that somebody buys for us, but we may not consider the daisies growing in our neighbor’s garden worth our time. Have we ever wondered why?

We can’t change every object in the world around us. What we can do is choose to perceive the world differently. If we pay more attention to the small things in life, our lives will feel more beautiful.

When was the last time you looked at a backpack with awe? Have you ever wondered how useful the backpack is and how it makes your lives so much more convenient? If we stop noticing these small details that make life special, life will appear dull and gray for us.

We all can change our perception of the world. Start by taking more time to notice small things: the food that you had for dinner, the birds eating seeds from a bird feeder, or the wonderful patch of flowers that bloomed in spring. Notice the beauty around you and life will feel a lot more beautiful for you.