Go back to: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 [Haven’t taken the IN AWE 21-Day Challenge? Join here.]
Welcome to Day 21 of the IN AWE 21-Day Challenge! Today we spark inspiration, meaning and joy by rediscovering CHILDLIKE WONDER.
CHALLENGE: We can learn a lot about how to love, lead, and live In Awe from children. But recognize that you don’t need to be a child to rediscover your childlike ability to unleash inspiration, meaning, and joy.
INSPIRATION: Each of us, every day, has a choice to reawaken these five childlike senses: To enter into each day with the wonder, curiosity, and questions of a child. To walk through life expecting awesome. To be fully immersed in the moment in front of us. To know that we belong and remain wildly, uncompromisingly open to new people, new ideas, and new experiences. And to skip forward freely, knowing that we were made not to sit back but to stand up, step in, and speak out in love.
Want more inspiration? The above is an excerpt from my forthcoming book IN AWE. If you haven’t yet, read the first chapter for free here.
ACTION: Pick one of the childlike senses shared above to reignite in your life today. Share which sense you picked + why in the comments below or on social, tagging me + using #InAwe.
My friends, today is your day! Live IN AWE.
John O’Leary
Did you know? The 21-Day IN AWE Challenge is inspired by John’s new book IN AWE. Order your copy + see all the fun behind the scenes at ReadInAwe.com.
13 replies on “In Awe 21-Day Challenge – Day 21”
I choose to be fully immersed in the moment in front of us. As a result of a recent diagnosis, I am no longer able to work. I want to to do all I can with my wife and children for as long as I can with the time I have remaining. Nothing else is as important.
I choose to be fully immersed in the the moment in front of us. Due to a diagnosis of my own a few months ago, and the inability to work any longer, I need to focus on the here and now to get the most of my remaining time with my wife and children.
I choose to be fully immersed in the moment in front of us and I am always open in meeting new people and new ideas. Thank you for this In Awe experience and awaiting my book to arrive Aruba. Stay safe and take care. God bless us all
I try to be excited to start new day. Waking up with the feeling – Today is gonna be wonderful day- makes me smile and enjoy my mornings.
Beginning each day with the wonder, curiosity, and questions of a child. Remembering my childhood and walking in my Grandparent’s rose and vegetable gardens have given me a deep appreciation of God’s gift of nature. It awakened in me a deep sense of awe that a tiny seed could grow into a beautiful flower or tomato plant. To have the curiosity of waiting for seeds to sprout gave me patience for what may be ahead of me in life. I want to continue to be mindful of living one day at a time and to practice an attitude of gratitude as I travel life’s paths.
To be fully immersed in the moment in front of us. I could have picked them all, but that is part of my challenge is that I go all in on a lot of things (healthy things which is good), but aware that when I slow down and allow less to be more, I live more in the present and in my body than in my head and my shoulds. Doing so many things for growth, but awareness that being present, enjoying the beauty and having fun with myself and with life IS the way, as I continue to stay open and ‘In Awe’ with the World and possibilities all around me.
One of the good things about being older is all the great memories we have. These slower more stressful times has resulted in opportunities for quite reflection. By slowing down and being in the moment I have found it easier to be in the present. Doing that has allowed me to have greater appreciation for my loving wife of 43 years and our relationship and to take the time to speak love to my children (4) and grandchildren (6) than ever before and to thank God for all of His blessings to me.
I choose hearing or maybe best to say “really listening”. So far this morning, I have enjoyed listening for songs the birds in the yard provide. A grandchild called with a joke. Hearing the sounds of mowers nearby. Planning to turn up Joy FM for inspiring music. Will watch and listen to the free Sight & Sound viewing of Jesus.
Yesterday I ordered a meal to deliver to a friend who lives alone and mobility is an issue, we used our phones at dinner to enjoy a FaceTime dinner conversation. I don’t know which one of us enjoyed it more.Hearing the voice of loved ones is so craved. Time to call a few more.
God bless your voice, John. I love hearing it.
Picking just one was hard for me. I know the first was out because the questions make me want to drink more bourbon than normal… or is it eat play-doh? I regularly walk through life expecting awesome, so I didn’t pick that one. That is no joke a daily activity for me. I’m also a big fan of being in the moment. I think this is very important to keep relationships on the up and up. I pick, “To skip forward freely, knowing that we were made not to sit back but to stand up, step in, and speak out in love.” I picked this because I’m struggling with it, the love mostly. We’re all in such a weird funk and there are earthquakes in Idaho, full moons, homeschooled children everywhere etc. etc. We were all a bit on the wrong side of happy this week at work (still working safely), and I had no nice words for people when I really should be shouting love from the mountaintops more than anything. So far its going way better and we’re all happy now that I’ve removed the play-doh from my eyes, nose, ears and ready to operate at a more human or childlike level! Cheers to the best day!
I am going to reawaken the sense of hearing. Right now as I type this I am listening to the birds chirping, my son talking to his friends (over video games of course) and my daughter’s spoon hitting the cereal bowl. All music to my ears. I will truly try to hit those piano keys this week and relearn a very lost talent, no matter how it sounds. It’s been a fun journey with you, John, thanks for sharing your talents. I look forward to reading the first chapter and of course the entire book when it comes out. God Bless.
Being accused of having a Pollyanna attitude was something I used to find a little annoying, but now I appreciate it. I have always looked at life and expected awesome. From not sleeping the night before the first day of a new school year, embracing the beautiful fragrance of the new box of 64 Crayola crayons (the one with the sharpener built-in), to telling the doctors, “I can’t have cancer, I have a four-year-old,” 27 years ago I expect amazing to be the norm and rarely have I been disappointed. Today’s challenge provides me with a “booster shot,” reminding me to continue living “In Awe.”
Childlike Wonder
Today, I chose to be fully immersed in the moment. My husband, brother and I pruned my late grandfather’s old fruit trees.
As a young girl, I can remember my grandfather taking the time to care for his trees. My favorite was the old apple tree! My grandfather made a self-made swing to push my brother and me… later in his years, would push my son. That old apple tree produced the sweetest apples. My grandfather would pick one off, salt it and share it with us.
My father took on caring for the trees, when my grandfather’s body didn’t allow him to do it anymore.
The past five years, my father has passed on the tradition to us. This year is the first year my brother joined my husband and me. We took our time to care for the old fruit trees, as my grandfather and father had done. We laughed, we climbed and were thankful for one another. Because, I fully immersed myself in the moment, I was appreciative for my family relationships. Through all the uncertainty of today, family is constant!
I want to reawaken the sense of being in the moment. Especially right now, we’re oftentimes very concerned with the future, but we need to look around the now and appreciate what is right in front of us. I want to be fully present when I am with others and in whatever I am doing at the moment.