Awe is an emotion that you feel when you are amazed, full of wonder, and feels like you are witnessing something extordinary. It is seen by psychiatrists as being positive for a person’s wellbeing. I don’t think that I experienced it until I was in my mid 50s, and suprisingly, I found it in my ordinary, every day life.
Some of my peers describe my life now as boring, mundane, and ordinary. They tell me that I have retired too early and have become ‘old’ in my out look. The trouble is, they don’t understand, or recognise the overwhelming awe in ordinary. Most days I shake my head in wonder. It might be at the sight of my first strawberry of the season, my grandson balancing on a bar, a rainbow as I am driving, or the taste of my latest concoction made from fridge gravel.
Back 10 or more years ago I would have loved my llfe to have been boring and ordinary. I was totally stressed, was batting off curve balls every day, and my toxic working environment was corroding the small amount of self esteem that I had left.
To other people my life seemed exciting. In fact I was told that I was lucky to be in the position that I was in. Contemporaries just saw the salary and status, neither of which meant anything to me.
There was little time to look for anything awesome in my life. I probably wouldn’t have recognised it as such, anyway. The hours I was working were too many, and I didn’t have time to invest in enjoying life. I just had responsibilities, or so I thought.
With my fast paced life I didn’t stop to notice what was around me. I just took everything for granted. Once I retired my life slowed down, and I started to look around me in awe. You could say that I was totally gob smacked when I realised what I had been missing..
Why had I never noticed the beautiful countryside that surrounded me, or the gorgeous walks? How come I didn’t know about the free food growing everywhere? Even the supermarket car park had treats growing abundantly. All of a sudden I stopped hating my house and saw it’s potential and good points. I had lived there 28 years and loathed it the whole time. It was the only house that I could afford to buy. 
As I started seeing the ordinary as extordinary, I recognised the abundance I enjoyed, and started appreciating everything that I had. I started finding the joy. Although I had very little financially, I felt so rich, and still do 10 years later. Often I am overwhelmed by my good fortune. I see life as always providing rather than giving me a raw deal (as my old mindset saw things). Thankfully, I have just about stopped taking people, possessions, time, my bad luck, my health, and my family’s love for granted. (I still need to work on the health and chocolate eating!) In the beginning, I started keeping a journal of everything that I was grateful for. It is hard to feel ‘down’ or out of luck, when you have a list of awesome things in front of you.
It was like I had just woken up and realised that a lot of life had been wasted and passed me by. How did I let that happen? I hadn’t even realised that it had.
I am now more mindful and conciously acknowledge things around me. I recognise how awesome people, moments, and places are, and take nothing for granted except that everything is temporary. It is nice to see the best in things. It helps me through the challenging and stressful times that none of us can totally avoid.
This mindset change didn’t happen overnight and took intention and practice. One thing that helped me was taking photos and videos to capture these awesome moments, and relive them in quiet periods, later.
I would also experience what was around me using all of my senses. I would close my eyes, listen to the bird song, feel the breeze on my cheek, touch the silky long grass, and smell the pine.
Recognising the awe in the ordinary helps me feel glad to be alive, an emotion I never really felt before. Life had just felt like a struggle and hard work, previously. Are you recognising all of the awesome things in your life, or are you taking them for granted like I was? How can you become more aware of the awe in your simple, ordinary life? I am so glad that I learned this mindset change. I have so much more joy in my life now. I hope that you have the same. ❤️
This was a lovely read. I’m the same. I was walking yesterday ,seeing the brambles flowere and looking forward to pick them in a few month. Seeing pinecones on the ground and collect them for crafts or my garden . You don’t need alot of money to be happy. My biggest inspiration was my gran. She had so little and was so happy and content. She used to collect fallen apples from a tree out her back and make the most amazing apple pie . You don’t need the latest fashion or new car to be happy .
True. I think that we are lucky to be both influenced by our grannies
I absolutely love this post .. I walk out my front to see fields if produce.. I turn my head to the left to look at the Riverbank I get a kick of joy every time I see a ship passing ! I love being a part of this group it makes me smile it makes me think it makes me happy .. Thank you ❤️
Sound wonderful. Aww I am so glad x
A wonderful, wonderful post. Thank you Toni! Happiness is tasting your first tomato of the year 🕊️
It is.Thank you x
Great post. I love the simplicity of an ordinary life. That is success in me. I have a relative who deems success as an important job title, salary and big house ‘They’ve done so well’ but don’t seem to applaud those taking a step back and leading a slower simple life. Like me. 😂 It really annoys me.
I agree. I have been to the top of my profession but feel much more sucessful now that I am retired and doing my own thing 😊
Thank you for another great post Toni. Awe is wonderful, like an excitement inside me, when I see or hear something for the first time, This group makes me feel it’s OK to be amazed at simple things. Thankyou
No worries. I am so pleased that so many of us are now proud to celebrate the ordinary 😊
Since retiring I felt the need to splurge on a book on butterflies and one on bumblebees. The hours I can spend just gazing at a patch of lawn allowed to grow long enough for it to flower abundantly and beautifully and be full of insects, amazed and utterly content… Perhaps with a mug of tea and a book lying unread on the little table. Moments that I very rarely had when working, now they are abundant.
Aww I am so pleased for you
This is a truly wonderful post and should be in every welcome pack for new workers starting a new job!
It is so important to see and feel what is around us and not just being on a treadmill of life and work.
Thank you for sharing.
I hope a lot of people get to read this ~ it’s awe-some !
To be honest I don’t think that they want workers to know this 😊. I wish I had known it when I was younger 😊. Thanks for your lovely feedback x
Great article. I really enjoy your writing. It’s incredible thst many people don’t realise that the most awesome things in life are the simple things like a board game and laughter with people you love a shared home cooked meal, not status or money.
Absolutely. That is kind of you to say. Thanks for your support.
Great read Toni, simplicity is awesome x
Thanks for your lovely feedback. It is x
Thank you Toni for allowing all of us in this group to share your tried & tested methods & your own ways of methodology.
You have the ability to show us how to do things & the reasons why we should be doing them. I know your path of writing will sustain so many of us now as we remember the old time ways of saving money & how things use to be done. So when you write your Sunday Times best seller “I did it my way curtsey of my Nan/Grandma/grandmother””, your voice will be the wise woman we all turn to as we try to survive this harsh landscape that we call living. You are a blessing & one day will be a living legend.
Aww thank you x