Monday, November 27, 2006
Magnificent Monday Motivators
Magnificent Monday Motivatorssm ~
Tapping Into Your Childlike Sense of Wonder
The comments come up frequently in my programs and coaching sessions that relate to children and their natural comfort with who they are, along with their imagination, exuberance and resiliency. Reflections upon this serve as a source of inspiration for some and sadness for others. Feelings of sadness arise because those particular people feel they have lost that connection due to certain events and situations in their lives, often at a young age.
Personally I feel greatly blessed because I have always been in touch with my sense of wonder from childhood, even with the difficulties and hardships. I came across a quote the other day that reminded me of magical moments.
The great man is he who does not lose his child’s heart.
~ Mencius
Chinese philosopher (371 B.C – 289 B.C.)
It does not matter what age you are or your stage of life. There are many ways you too can reconnect with your childlike sense of wonder.
For starters, give yourself permission. Yes, let that younger boy or girl tucked inside you know that it is okay to share what they know with you about fun and imagination.
Spend time outside in nature, at a playground or park, anyplace where you can have a sense of being free.
Allow yourself to play. Play is one of the ways children learn about themselves, each other, work and the (their) world. Swing on some swings, find a sand pile, climb a tree (safely, of course), color outside the line, ride a bike, make paper airplanes, do the things you enjoyed doing as a child.
When possible, watch children at play. I’m not talking about video games here. You may find it amazing how fascinated young children can be with boxes, pots and pans, laundry baskets. They create many wonderful worlds with the simplest of resources and the breadth of their imagination.
At work and in your personal life, look at things from different perspectives. This can be literally by getting up and moving around. And it can be figuratively by looking at things from someone else’s viewpoint, i.e., customers, other departments, the boss, Thomas Jefferson, Einstein, a hawk, a mouse, etc. Or the perspective can be from different stages, points in time, aspects, and so on.
Engage in mind dumps, brainstorming sessions and dialog. The key is to allow an open free flow of ideas, initially without judgment. Related to this is to keep an idea book where you can write down ideas, draw and include pictures from magazines.
Sing, listen to music, engage in movement either by simply stretching, walking around, jumping up and down or even dancing. These can be done separately or in combination with each other. These things benefit our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional bodies.
Our society is so funny. One of my favorite activities is to look at things literally. These things can be in books, the newspaper or magazines, what people say (actually what they mean to say), fast food signs or what you personally think, say and do. This can be a real adventure.
Create a list of things that work for you. Yes, you are the wisest person about your life, you interests, the things that cause you to ignite the spark of enthusiasm, imagination, joy, creativity, resiliency…Start with what you know about yourself. Add to it as you discover and uncover additional insights from this moment onward.
And finally, I leave you with the quote from an Abbey Press wall hanging that has a little elf leaning on a tree looking out onto a field:
For starters, give yourself permission. Yes, let that younger boy or girl tucked inside you know that it is okay to share what they know with you about fun and imagination.
Spend time outside in nature, at a playground or park, anyplace where you can have a sense of being free.
Allow yourself to play. Play is one of the ways children learn about themselves, each other, work and the (their) world. Swing on some swings, find a sand pile, climb a tree (safely, of course), color outside the line, ride a bike, make paper airplanes, do the things you enjoyed doing as a child.
When possible, watch children at play. I’m not talking about video games here. You may find it amazing how fascinated young children can be with boxes, pots and pans, laundry baskets. They create many wonderful worlds with the simplest of resources and the breadth of their imagination.
At work and in your personal life, look at things from different perspectives. This can be literally by getting up and moving around. And it can be figuratively by looking at things from someone else’s viewpoint, i.e., customers, other departments, the boss, Thomas Jefferson, Einstein, a hawk, a mouse, etc. Or the perspective can be from different stages, points in time, aspects, and so on.
Engage in mind dumps, brainstorming sessions and dialog. The key is to allow an open free flow of ideas, initially without judgment. Related to this is to keep an idea book where you can write down ideas, draw and include pictures from magazines.
Sing, listen to music, engage in movement either by simply stretching, walking around, jumping up and down or even dancing. These can be done separately or in combination with each other. These things benefit our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional bodies.
Our society is so funny. One of my favorite activities is to look at things literally. These things can be in books, the newspaper or magazines, what people say (actually what they mean to say), fast food signs or what you personally think, say and do. This can be a real adventure.
Create a list of things that work for you. Yes, you are the wisest person about your life, you interests, the things that cause you to ignite the spark of enthusiasm, imagination, joy, creativity, resiliency…Start with what you know about yourself. Add to it as you discover and uncover additional insights from this moment onward.
And finally, I leave you with the quote from an Abbey Press wall hanging that has a little elf leaning on a tree looking out onto a field:
Take time to wonder. Without wonder, life is merely existence.
In the Flow of Childlike Wonder,
Antoinette
Antoinette
(c) 2006 Antoinette S. Webster. All rights reserved. www.ASystemthatWorks.com
To find out more about how to ignite the spark of enthusiasm, imagination,
joy, creativity, resiliency and/or wonder in your personal and professional life,
