Throw Wonder Into Me: What a six-year-old reminded me about the magic of life.

Last night, my grandson Easton asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks. "Do you want me to throw wonder into you?" Well, that's a question I had never been asked before. I wasn't quite sure what he meant. Then he asked me something about a Bow Wow song that I didn't know the answer to, and suddenly I understood. He wanted to surprise me with something I didn't know. He wanted to make me wonder. And I thought... Oh, my goodness. YES! Throw wonder into me. Every. Single. Day.

What a magical place to be. I've been thinking about those words ever since, because somewhere along the way, I think a lot of us stop allowing wonder into our lives. Not intentionally, of course. We just get busy. We become responsible adults with schedules and obligations, bills to pay, people to care for, problems to solve, and approximately 47 things running through our minds at any given moment. We start believing that growing up means figuring everything out. Having the answers. Knowing what comes next. Being prepared for whatever life throws our way. And without even realizing it, we trade some of our curiosity for certainty. Some of our imagination for practicality. Some of our wonder for worry.

When Did We Stop Being Amazed?

Think about how children experience the world. They ask a thousand questions. They notice things we've walked past a hundred times. They can turn a cardboard box into a spaceship, a stick into a magic wand, and an ordinary afternoon into an extraordinary adventure. They don't need everything to make sense before they enjoy it. They don't always need to know where something is going before they begin. And they certainly don't need permission to be fascinated. Somewhere along the way, many of us begin to approach life differently. Instead of asking, "What could happen?" We ask, "What could go wrong?" Instead of wondering what's possible, we focus on what's probable. Instead of being curious about what we don't know, we become uncomfortable with not knowing. And here's what I find fascinating about that. The very thing we're trying to create through all that certainty, a sense of peace, might actually become easier to experience when we allow ourselves a little more wonder. Because wonder doesn't demand that we have all the answers. It simply invites us to be present for the experience.

What If We Let Life Surprise Us?

I spend a great deal of time helping people recognize the patterns of thought that shape their experiences. One of the things I've noticed is how quickly our minds fill in the blanks. We think we know how someone is going to respond. We think we know how an experience will turn out. We think we know what we're capable of, what our limitations are, and what tomorrow is likely to bring.

And then we live as though those predictions are facts. But what if we're wrong? What if there's something beautiful waiting in an experience we've already decided won't be enjoyable? What if the person we think we understand has something wonderful to teach us? What if the opportunity we haven't considered is the one that changes everything? What if life has more possibilities than our current perspective allows us to see?

I'm not suggesting we abandon common sense or pretend that challenges don't exist. I'm suggesting that maybe we don't know nearly as much about what tomorrow holds as we think we do. And perhaps that's not something to fear. Perhaps that's something to get excited about.

Wonder Is a Way of Showing Up Fully

This is where Easton's question connects so beautifully to something I talk about all the time.

Showing Up Fully. To me, showing up fully isn't about doing more, being more productive, or becoming some perfected version of yourself. It's about actually participating in the life you're living.

Not the life you'll have when everything settles down. Not the life you'll have when you've reached your goals. Not the life you'll have when everyone around you is happy and everything is finally going according to plan. This life. The one happening right now. And I think wonder is one of the most beautiful ways we can practice that. Because you can't fully experience wonder while you're mentally racing through tomorrow's to-do list.

Wonder asks you to notice.

To listen.

To be curious.

To allow yourself to be surprised.

To recognize that even on an ordinary Saturday evening, a six-year-old might say something that changes the way you look at the world. You don't have to travel somewhere exotic, accomplish something extraordinary, or wait for a life-changing event to experience a little magic. Sometimes it shows up in your living room. Sometimes it comes disguised as a question. And sometimes it sounds like, "Do you want me to throw wonder into you?"

You're Not Stuck. You're Practiced

One of my favorite things to remind people is: You're not stuck. You're practiced. And I think that applies here, too. If you've spent years practicing worry, anticipating problems, or needing to know how everything is going to work out, your mind has become very good at those things. But that doesn't mean you're incapable of experiencing life differently. You can practice curiosity. You can practice noticing what's going right. You can practice being open to possibilities you haven't considered. You can practice asking better questions. Instead of "What if something goes wrong?"

Try, "What if something wonderful happens?"Instead of "Why does this always happen to me?"

Try, "What might I discover through this experience?" Instead of "I already know how this is going to turn out." Try, "I wonder what I haven't considered yet." These aren't magic words that make life's difficulties disappear. They're invitations to shift your attention. And where we place our attention has an enormous influence on how we experience our lives.

A Little More Wonder, Please

So I've decided to accept Easton's invitation. I want wonder thrown into me. I want to be surprised.

I want to laugh at things I don't understand. I want to learn something I didn't know yesterday.

I want to look at familiar things and see something new. I want to leave room in my life for the unexpected, the delightful, the ridiculous, and the extraordinary. And I want to remember that being an adult doesn't mean I have to outgrow the magic of being alive.

Because maybe the goal isn't to have life all figured out. Maybe the goal is to stay curious enough to keep discovering it. So here's my invitation to you. Sometime today, stop what you're doing. Look around. Ask yourself: "What could I allow myself to wonder about today?" And don't rush to find an answer. Just make room for the question. You might be amazed at what you begin to notice. As for me? Easton, sweetheart, keep throwing wonder into me. I hope you never stop. And I hope I never stop being willing to catch it. Because... what a magical place to be.

Ready to Show Up Fully?

If you've been moving through life on autopilot, worrying about what's next, or waiting for circumstances to change before you allow yourself to enjoy the present, I'd love to help you discover another way.

My Showing Up Fully program is designed to help you recognize old patterns, shift your perspective, reconnect with yourself, and begin participating in your life with greater intention, confidence, and joy. You don't have to have everything figured out to begin enjoying the journey. Explore Showing Up Fully