Redefining a Feeling of Wonder

Wonder is linked to awe and curiosity. It can also show up in disturbing events and help us transform them.

Iwas sipping coffee and reading on the last morning of 2021 when an Eagle flew in at eye level over our meadow. Our living room walls are glass and I caught the 7 foot expanse of it’s majestic wings.

I was my normal, uncool self when anything spectacular happens in nature. I leapt out of my chair with a yelp of excitement and ran outside. Trying to track the direction it disappeared in.

Why did it swoop in so low and precariously close to the house? Maybe it was thirsty for fresh water and spied no relief in our frozen pond. I was moved into a state of wonder.

Would you believe me if I told you I can also feel wonder when everything I don’t want flies down the chute? During one not so sparkly, eventful phase, the lessons lasted way too long in my opinion. I became indignant and rebellious. This onslaught should be over by now!

I could hear the cosmic laughter drifting down as I roared to the heavens, “Okay, lay it on! All of it! Give me your biggest bundle of crap!”

I don’t recommend this option. We get what we ask for, although we may not recognize it when it shows up. The benevolent Universe complied with my request. Dishing out a new load and bringing me to my knees. An effective learning technique. The teaching sticks.

Trials can also offer free rides in Wonderland as they are intertwined with the possibility of Alchemy.

“Alchemy is defined as the process of taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary, sometimes in a way that cannot be explained.” www.dictionary.com

This definition is modern Alchemy. We are no longer attempting to turn base metals into gold. Alchemists are now reworking conditioned patterns in order to liberate our mindsets.

We need tools to bust out of our habits. They must be simple and workable on a daily basis so we can successfully integrate new awareness.

I discovered the immense value of wonder as a transformative tool at the age of six. A mean teacher locked me in a dark closet and left me in there for more than an hour. She took the class out to recess. I was alone.

The deepest fear I had ever felt arrived and sucked me into it’s black, unforgiving hole. I was sure I would die. Light arrived in the form of a scintillating turquoise orb and invited me in.

I went gladly. In the process, the ego I had been developing merged with ONE. There was no ‘I’ walking out of the closet. I was a slate wiped clean and equipped with a new sense of self authority.

Curiosity became my divining rod. How does this world work? I wanted to know! Enthusiasm was my driver.

My energy was guided toward an exploration of the unseen. The powerful currents and undertows of subtle energy. The determiners of manifestation on a material plane.

In a childlike way, I learned the pulses of a new rhythm. Enthusiastic curiosity could lead to wonder and joy. One part of me became “She Who Laughs at Herself.”

Wonder [noun] “A feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar or inexplicable.” Def. Oxford Languages

A few of our world leaders have demonstrated the process of modern alchemy. How events can appear one way and translate into something very different.

On New Year’s Eve I watched “Mission: Joy. Finding Happiness in Troubled Times.” This documentary profiled the friendship between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, who was ill with prostate cancer during the last stage of production. He passed away on December 26th, 2021, making the film even more significant.

These two remarkable men were no strangers to suffering. The Dalai Lama was forcibly exiled at the age of 23 from his Tibetan homeland. Desmond Tutu spent 27 years in prison for having the courage to fight apartheid in South Africa. They were both persecuted for their efforts to abolish human inequality.

There is another aspect they shared in common. Their ability to transmute deep pain into joy and wonder. Although they only interacted six times over a period of years, they formed an extraordinary bond based in mutual admiration, respect and the pleasure they received in each other’s company.

Archbishop Tutu’s daughter, Mpho Tutu van Furth, described their interaction as being similar to two eight year old boys. They took special delight in giving each other good natured grief. Arch, as he liked to be called, told the Dalai Lama he was too serious at one point in the film. He mirrored the Dalai Lama’s concerned expression, causing both to hoot with laughter and point fingers.

Although these two spiritual and political leaders shared the same core values of human equality, they came into the subject from different angles. The Dalai Lama had been trained from the age of 4 in the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism. He was taught to recognize and be aware of emotions, but to contemplate them fully, using logic and reason, before reacting.

Desmond Tutu came from a passionate stance. We are human beings with powerful emotions, which need to be expressed to implement societal change. Embedded racism cannot be abolished without visible protests on the streets. Use your voice and unleash your emotions.

These divergent views based on common goals became highlighted in one scene of the film. A young girl was sent by her parents to live in the Tibetan Children’s Village in Dharmasala, India.

She stood in front of the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu during a special event. I imagined how many times she had practiced her speech before presenting it to these renowned leaders.

She began to describe her sorrow at feeling orphaned from her parents and home. Fleeing the country at her parent’s request, to keep the Tibetan language and culture intact in her life. Both men beamed their full attention upon her. She became overwhelmed in their presence and broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Her reaction elicited two distinct responses. The Dalai Lama immediately placed his hands in prayer position over his heart and averted his eyes downward as a form of grace. To save her from further embarrassment.

Desmond Tutu did the exact opposite. His eyes lit up to an extraordinary degree. Compassion and empathy sprung from his heart straight into this young woman, struggling for her lost composure. It was so palpable I felt it too.

Her teacher rescued her, placing an arm around her shoulders and ushering her back to her seat.

What she demonstrated was far more effective than her planned words. The energy generated by this meeting bypassed her mind and went directly into her heart. Desmond Tutu’s complete opening to her emotions sent her spiraling into a release she may not have allowed herself to express before. She had been seen.

It was a raw, exceedingly potent, alchemical moment. The dross of grief transmuting into self liberation. Wonder entered, affecting all involved. Tears were streaming down my face. I found myself uttering consolation and encouragement to this young refugee at the beginning of her life.

A segment ensued where the two men discussed their differing approaches toward emotions and the validity of both actions. Yes, we need to feel emotions through our hearts. We also need to sort them out in our minds before we do damage to self or others.

By the end of their conversation, they were able to meet in the middle with deep respect each other’s path. Not only did they come to agreement, but they entered a spontaneous state of joy and wonder having done so.

Their final statement. Develop a sense of humor to save yourself from Self.

There were several aspects of this documentary I strongly resonated with. The most pertinent one being the evocation of wonder. Wonder is most often associated with openness and awe about positive events.

Curiosity and enthusiasm however, can reframe ‘negative’ circumstances and morph them into a state of wonder.

This is not done by disconnecting from the reality before us. Retreating into a protective shield of false positivity. Growth does not emerge from selective views but is found in the trenches of all that arises.

The down to the bone, gobsmacking stuff we’d rather turn away from is as crucial to our wholeness as the beauty unfolding before us.

Alchemy requires a full acceptance of what is. How can we work with our Shadows if we refuse to acknowledge them? If we wish to disempower the lower aspects of ourself, we must pay attention to all we are.

Our world is more imbalanced now than it ever has been. We’ve been spoon fed negativity so often we fail to recognize it for the overstuffed demon it is. We are saturated with news of what doesn’t work, instead of recognizing the many things working well.

We are being told we can’t come together for the common good. The biggest falsehood around.

Look around you. Find the small hits of wonder awaiting your discovery. I found a reliable source of wonder and joy the first time I fully realized Nature was a Divine expression. This wonder is not linked to people, yet it assists my ability to interact with others by boosting my daily dose of joy.

Play around with a state of wonder. Having a bad day? Make it worse. To the point you realize the power of your own thoughts and finally stop. There’s the wonder.

No matter what arises, you’ll be able to grapple with energies in a new way. Your mind will slowly uncoil restrictions if you bring wonder into the mix. Your heart will be grateful for this shift in consciousness and engage it’s compass in your choices.

We’re all curious, mysterious and magical Beings. Doing our best to steer through Wonder Land.

The Wonder Bonus: Our Soul stamp of approval. Well Done!