Wonder Junkie
Have you ever noticed how easily a child is entertained by the most trivial things? They seem to picture everyday objects as totally fun toys. They will spend minutes touching and looking at a simple flower in a garden (even attempt to eat it). These kids have a keen sense of wonder. They are easily captivated by the beauty in the smallest things. As we grow older we seem to be amazed by less and less; we have gotten used to seeing those everyday objects, the flowers in the garden, the bird singing, the cloud rolling across the sky. It all starts to lose its meaning to us, yet it is still the same thing that amazed us as children..
Like the rest of us, I almost lost my sense of wonder as I grew older. I took the world for granted and didn’t appreciate what was around me. It wasn’t until I stumbled across a quote by William Blake that said, “To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.” that I realized the importance of appreciating every sight I see, every opportunity I’m given, and every moment of my day. There is a whole lot of meaning hidden behind these words that I have thought about and decoded. The meaning has changed me as a person; it has brought back the constant state of wonder I was in as a child. The part of the quote that says “to see the world in a grain of sand and Heaven in a wildflower” is my favorite part. That is because it packs such an important message; open your eyes and look beneath the surface of the things around you. Put thought into the flower you picked, the car you drive, the song you listen to, your own body. Let those things amaze you. The complexity of everything is so incredible and the amount of work that the world had to do to shape that object or create that sound is so substantial but yet we see it as a simple everyday occurrence. The beauty in everything is so easily overlooked if you don’t take the time to stop and appreciate it. Just open yourself, you can’t find beauty if you aren’t letting yourself look for it! After I applied this to my life, I realized how much of life there is to celebrate. The world is so beautiful and complex! What amazes me most are things like the functions of the human body, the way your ears absorb vibrations moving through air molecules, and your brain decodes those small vibrations into the lovely melodies that you hear everyday, like the music you listen to, or the voices of your friends. Life becomes so much more exciting when you let yourself be amazed.
  The other half of the quote is equally important; the part that says “Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.” The lessons I learned from these words are “make the most of every opportunity given to you” and “appreciate every moment of your life, don’t take your time for granted.” Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, wow, that is pretty powerful. If you think about it though, you’ll realize how much power you truly have in this world. You really can hold infinity in your hand, because it is YOUR infinity, your ability, your potential. Every opportunity presented to you is an opportunity to improve yourself, to grow, to experience the world. The world truly is at your fingertips, as cliche as you think it sounds, there is no doubt that the power is all yours to make of this world and of yourself whatever you wish, You just have to put in the effort. The last part is something I have heard from many but haven’t had so much experience with, “hold eternity in an hour.” I believe this part is telling us to appreciate our moments because they are numbered. Do not waste your time, make the most of each moment because in a split second you may run out of moments. Since I am young I have heard from many adults that I should appreciate my youth or that I will only be young once. I do pack as much substance into each moment as I can. I try to balance all of my homework, extra curricular activities and my social life in the most fun way I can manage. Sometimes it is stressful, but for the most part my youth has been nothing less than euphoric. I have been blessed with so many great people and some amazing opportunities; all of which have shaped my person and my memories.
Recently I have taken great interest in self improvement books/quotes. Reading these quotes and books has been so rewarding, it has allowed me to see the world in a whole new perspective, to appreciate everything and everyone around me, to let go of myself and my fears, to allow myself to be amazed. This quote accurately portrays the message of most of these books. Allow yourself to become a wonder junkie and you will be happy. I am so glad I became one.