Any tips on how to keep that childlike wonder alive more of the time?
You know how people who are being told they only have a certain amount of time left to live suddenly appreciate a simple tree? Or someone who's about to go to prison suddenly appreciates the blue sky?
When I heard this for the first time, years ago, I promised myself to notice these things every day. You don't have to wait for bad news in order to find out what you enjoy most, or who you most enjoy spending your time with. Just imagine the world would end in a month's time. What would you do in the time you have left? Where would you travel, who would you want to see one last time, what would you try out that you always wanted to do, but kept putting off?
Also, maybe in your self development books you have read about how important it is to be grateful (have you read about the Law of Attraction? It says there that by being grateful for some things you reinforce the positive energy and attract more of it). Sit down once and think which things/people in your life you are grateful for. If you do that once really consciously, maybe later, whenever you see those people or those nice things happen, you get reminded and become aware and you will be grateful again instantly.
Do you write? I do. I'm not a published writer or anything (actually yes, 55 words!!!
) but I wrote a piece once on how we take everything for granted and how we have forgotten to be amazed about certain things. As children we are amazed that i.e. those heavy airplanes can fly, but as soon as we grow up and learn about physics and figure out how it works, they lose their magic. But it's still special, isn't it, considering about a 100 years ago flying was still a dream?
I went to the beach one day very early in the morning, and saw thousands of seagulls there, sleeping. A sight that I had never seen before in my life. It occured to me in that moment that - while I had always wanted to live by the beach, where the seagulls are - I had never wondered where they sleep! If they had nests, and if so, where??? I was really mad with myself in that moment
that I had forgotten about such a simple thing - about the seagulls that were so important to me and that surrounded me every day... That's when I sat down and wrote the piece about them and all kinds of other things that we don't notice anymore and take for granted. It's one of my favourite pieces I ever wrote and I read it every now and then, just for myself
Maybe you would enjoy that exercise, too. Sit down and just notice things around you and write them down. Even if you just make a list, rather than a story. I also sat in a cafe once and just wrote down all the different sounds that I heard. I can tell you there are a lot!! Maybe that will make you more sensitive for observations about your environment and yourself... I don't know. It's just something I did and liked and it seemed to work.
You say you tried various ways to find out what you want ? can you maybe share some? Also, it sounds like you have read way more books on the subject than I did - if you can recommend any, please do!
I did like the excercises in Michaels first book ?You can have what you want?. The other one I have only just started? I also listened to the ?Get the Edge? CD?s of Anthony Robbins, but there?s a little too much talking for my taste... I think he could have easily consolidated the 7 CD?s into 1. But still, you might get something out of them. I remember just listening to him uplifted and motivated me. Even though the motivation stopped as soon as the CD was finished, while I was listening I felt good! ;-)
As to my top 3 thing i love doing, they are reading personal development books, having meaningful conversation and listening to music. Any ideas what kind of work will allow me to do this?
How about opening a record store or becoming a radio dj
You might be able to have meaningful conversations in both, and time to read self development books, too
Anja
