Being awed

“¡Sin llorar! ¡Sin llorar!” That’s the last thing I remember hearing from my friends as a taxi drove my mother and I to the La Ceiba airport on our way to Miami. It was December, 1985.

Miami was a flat and infinite expanse of lights laid in a perfect grid. There were no dirt roads, traffic lights were everywhere, and everyone seemed to have a car. Businesses crowded every street and I saw a bright skyline of highrises, a sight I had only seen in movies. I politely declined the offer to have my first taste of American fast food because I had no idea what a Big Mac was, but I realized food was available practically 24 hours a day. I suddenly had an urge to take a shower before going to bed because warm water was guaranteed to come out of the faucet, a fact I had to wait to confirm until the following morning. I eventually went to bed with a grin on my face as I enjoyed the cool breeze ...from an air conditioner. Never mind the poverty and chaos behind me, a new world of infinite possibilities lay ahead.

As we age, life beats that sense of wonder out of us. Amazing blessings are overshadowed by deep scars. An exciting adventure becomes a risk too great to take. A curious colleague becomes an impractical dreamer. To borrow from an old phrase, we turn away from the ocean of possibilities to focus on the small piece of shore that gives us comfort.

--> Try to recall specific feelings from your first day on the job as a young professional. Were you excited? Were you filled with hope? What were your big dreams? Do you feel the same wonder and hope today? How come?

--> Take the weekend to plan a one hour activity specifically dedicated to igniting wonder and hope, and commit to executing by the end of this month.