April 28th 2010 - Wondering

I'm wondering about wondering today. How much wondering is healthy? How much of our wondering do we spend on needless curiosity? How much of our wondering is fear-based? Where is our wondering taking us?

Wondering is healthy in many respects. It runs in concert with imagination. I think that it carries within it the seed of growth. Where in this world of infinite possibilities should I go next? Where will Life take me, and where will I take Life?

The problem with many of us is that we never get past the wondering stage. We think that our imagination is just a side show. We are constantly wondering, without letting that wonderment fill our sails and carry us to our next destination.

A lot of us waste a lot of our wondering time, wondering about what will go wrong next. Things will always go wrong. That's what makes Life interesting. If everything always went our way, we would be completely bored. We learn from our mistakes. If we play it too safe, and try to shield ourselves from making mistakes, the zest of Life will be completely absent from us. We'll go to work, watch our TV, go out for dinner, and that is Life for us. Life holds a billion more surprises than the most wild imagination could ponder. Life is limitless, boundless, filled with mystery and endless opportunities. If you give a bit more of your time to nature, the magic will find you.

When you catch yourself wondering what could go wrong next, see if you can shift that into a creative flow. What could go right next? What could Life hold in store for me? What magical opportunity could come out of nowhere and shift my Life completely? What can I do to make things better, or at least to feel better?

And, please, do yourself the favor of following your imagination sometimes, instead of staying stuck in wondering mode. What if this happens? What if that happens? If you keep wondering, nothing will improve. Your imagination is feeding you with possible journeys to take down the infinite paths of Life. If I hadn't decided to start writing this blog, you wouldn't be reading it right now. I had to get past wondering who would like it, and just put it out there.

I was on the beach, not even an hour ago. I had just finished a jog and was doing some stretching. A huge pelican came flying straight at me. I love pelicans. I love the grace of their flight, and their wide-reaching wingspan. As it flew right by me, I realized how free that pelican is. Never wondering where its next meal will come from, or whether it will get home in time for a television show. It knows it will find a meal if it flies long enough, as the ocean is filled with ample food. It knows that the world will provide. And, if not, it will just follow the endless cycle of Life into the next stage.

Wondering Aloud,
Alan

P.S. That pelican has no idea about the economy. It is completely unaffected by it. Now that is freedom.