Cold air wakes me up fast, but it’s not the only jolt we need. This season asks a harder question: have we let wonder slip away? My view is simple. Wonder doesn’t vanish; we let it wander. And we can bring it back with practice.
Wonder Demands Practice
As a kid, I wanted one thing for Christmas: a unicycle from the Sears Roebuck catalog. I trained like a maniac. I fell. I bruised ankles. I kept going. I finally rode it, and the rush felt like flight. Later, I got a nicer Schwinn that still hangs in my garage. I ride it sometimes. But it doesn’t hit like that first one did.
“When we wander from our wonder.”
That line sticks with me. Familiarity can turn the amazing into background noise. We stop noticing. We stop being grateful. We confuse “common” with “not special.” That’s on us.
“Sometimes familiarity becomes commonplace.”
I work with CEOs and teams who’ve hit goals many would envy. Yet the joy fades after the win. The project closes. The numbers look good. But the room feels flat. It’s not success fatigue. It’s lost wonder. It’s forgetting why any of it mattered in the first place.
The Case for Reclaiming Simple Awe
We don’t need bigger thrills. We need sharper attention. The simple things are rare gifts dressed up as routine. You notice them when they’re gone. Sight. Touch. Hearing. Taste. Movement. Lose one, and life changes fast. They were always priceless. Our hearts drifted.
“We have to cultivate wonder in even the simple things.”
Some will say, “You can’t force wonder.” I hear that. But you can train your eyes. You can steer your focus. You can choose what you honor with your time. That’s not fake. That’s discipline. And it works.
I’ve seen leaders rekindle pride in their teams by noticing small wins again. I’ve seen families restore warmth by pausing before meals to name one good thing. I’ve seen my own mood change just by looking at that old Schwinn and remembering the kid who wouldn’t quit.
How I Practice Wonder
Try these quick moves to reset your focus today. Pick one and do it for a week.
- Name three simple gifts you used today: sight, touch, movement, or a quiet moment with someone you love.
- Revisit a first. Read your first journal entry, ride the old bike, or play that song from your childhood.
- Slow a daily ritual. Make coffee by hand. Walk without headphones. Breathe and notice details.
- Serve one person without being asked. Wonder grows when you give.
- Ask, “What would amaze me about this if it were new?” Then write one sentence about it.
These aren’t tricks. They’re reps. Like learning the unicycle. You wobble. You bruise ego and maybe ankles. You keep going. And then the balance comes back.
Hold the Season, Don’t Rush It
As we move into Christmas, I don’t want the core story to turn into decor. The lights are fun. The gifts are nice. But the point is deeper. Grace showed up. Hope walked in. That should stop us in our tracks.
“May we not wander from the wonder of the true meaning of Christmas.”
I believe awe is a choice before it’s a feeling. We choose what to repeat, what to notice, what to honor. We can train our attention the way we trained our bodies as kids—through practice, patience, and a few friendly stumbles.
Here’s my ask. Today, find one “ordinary” thing and treat it like a gift. Do it again tomorrow. And the next day. Don’t wait for a big moment. Build a small one. Let wonder return to the front of your day, not the background.
Stay frosty. Keep practicing. And keep your wonder close.
