Mindset Moments: Finding Awe in the Everyday

What small, ordinary thing are you walking past today? 

Finding awe in the everyday can be simple: look at the space around you, pick an object, revel in its beauty, uniqueness, complexity. Take a moment to feel gratitude that you have this mundane object in your life. I call these “Mindset Moments,” and they serve as gentle prompts to reset your perspective. They are useful tools in any moment when you find yourself feeling heavy or negative. It’s about looking at the world around you from a place of curiosity and simply appreciating the beauty and history of this physical world.

Let's take a moment and consider your toothbrush. What did “a toothbrush” look like in the past?  Did people really use twigs to scrub their teeth, as seen in Outlander? And then to where? How many people – along the journey of today’s modern toothbrush – have been involved in advancing the toothbrush? Not just the invention of new technologies – before plastics were there wooden toothbrushes? Metal? Wouldn’t a metal toothbrush feel weird and aren’t you glad that’s different now? Extend appreciation to the people who came before, who endured those experiences and strove to improve them. Give gratitude to the many hands and minds who continue to make improvements. 

Isn’t it amazing to think about the different iterations of this tool?

Feel the awe and curiosity of this mundane tool that we use daily. Acknowledge the vast, invisible network of hands and industry who make it possible to get a new toothbrush so easily. Whether you use a plastic stem with nylon bristles; a powered wand with a rotating brush; or something else I’m not even aware of; the next time you brush your teeth I invite you to think about this blog post, let your mind travel through the history of the brush you hold in your hand, give thanks to the many, many steps along the way it took to be here.

Feel like sharing? What is a mundane task or tool that you’ve never really given much thought? What happens when you allow yourself to show it awe and gratitude?