When you’re feeling jaded in midlife, rediscover your wonder in the world
Feeling jaded? Living with the “seen it all before” feeling for too long?
It’s very easy for this feeling of “same old, same old” to hit us in midlife.
In a way, we have seen it all before and it can seem as if there’s little that’s new and exciting. That tired feeling of “been there, done that” can be overwhelming at times.
We’re midlife women, we’re busy, harassed. We’ve got very important, long lists of things to get done. And so it can be so easy to rush from one thing to another in a daze. Not noticing, not paying attention to the world as it is, but focusing instead on the world as it is in our heads.
Our busy, frantic minds are where the action is and the constant whirring of conversation in our minds never stops, never lets up from our attention for one second.
It can be very easy to be hypnotized by the everyday and trivial in our life, and to move from one task to the next in a dazed stupor. And so the world as it exists in our mind can very easily become routine and dull.
But wait a moment.
Just ignore the constant chatter. Still the mind for a while,
Then you’ll have space to pay close, exquisite attention to your world. Take some long, slow breaths, give yourself time to look around. Because the world out there is constantly changing and there is always something fresh to notice.
When you reignite your senses, you can rediscover the wonder of the familiar. Look at the detail of your world, the small, fascinating minutiae.
As you stop and pay attention, even the everyday and the “oh so familiar” can bring a new sense of wonder to your heart - the steam from a mug of coffee, the smile of a loved one, the sound of a bird outside your window, the feel of a soft, cooling breeze.
Looking around, I can see photos of my family that I haven’t even noticed for such a long while. They make me smile (especially the daughter and dog selfie). Noticing the arrangement I made of old china cups and saucers I made a long time ago, I notice afresh the colours I love.
Take time to walk in nature, immerse yourself in a wood, stroll through a field of flowers. Tune into all your senses.
It’s all there, waiting to be rediscovered and seen, heard and felt anew when you look closely.
Or perhaps you prefer the grand, wider view.
Instructions
Go outside and look up into the sky on a clear night and gaze at all the stars. Remember we are all living on a tiny planet spinning through space. As far as we know, it’s just us but who knows! Ride with your imagination up into our solar system, through the Milky Way and beyond.
Isn’t this thing called life so incredible and magnificent? Isn’t it astonishing that we’re here, living and conscious, aware of who we are and our life on this beautiful planet?
Are you still feeling jaded and midlife weary?
Use your senses and reignite the incredible richness of the present moment. Think “wide view” a little every day and rekindle your sense of wonder.