Open to Wonder: The Twelfth Step in Becoming

Taylor & Lauren
Aug 1
3 min read

“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

-Mary Oliver

August stretches toward the horizon like a long exhale. The light is warm and golden, and the world feels like it’s holding its breath before the next season begins. It’s a month for soft awe. For remembering that wonder is still an option - even here. Even now.

We often think wonder is reserved for children or poets, but it’s not. It’s a skill. A practice. A way of looking at the world that keeps your soul supple and your spirit open.

This month, we don’t chase wonder. We allow it. We open the door. And then we look up.

Why We Open to Wonder

Wonder softens the edges of a hardened world. It reminds us to look again...to notice what we’ve been too busy to see.

🌟 Wonder doesn’t demand answers. It invites presence.

🌟 Wonder doesn’t require a plan. It requires permission.

🌟 Wonder doesn’t have to be big. Sometimes it’s just the light catching the curve of a teacup, or the way the wind moves through the curtains.

We’ve found that our most magical moments often come when we’re least trying to make something happen. They come in pauses, in laughter, in golden-hour car rides. The more we allow ourselves to notice beauty, the more beauty there is to notice.

A Practice of Noticing

You don’t need a trip to the mountains or a passport to feel awe. Try this:

🌿 What You’ll Need:

• A notebook or your phone’s notes app

• 15 minutes

• A place to sit or wander (inside or outside)

🌿 Steps:

1️⃣ Sit or walk slowly. Pretend it’s your first day on Earth.

2️⃣ Let your senses guide you. What do you see? Hear? Smell? Feel?

3️⃣ Every time something strikes you - no matter how small - write it down.

4️⃣ At the end of the 15 minutes, reread what you noticed. Let yourself be amazed.

5️⃣ Whisper a quiet thank you. Even if it’s just to the light.

Journal Prompts

To lean further into the art of astonishment, explore one of these:

• What would it feel like to believe that beauty is everywhere?

• When was the last time I gasped?

• What does wonder feel like in my body?

• What parts of my life have I stopped seeing clearly?

We talk often about how music is one of the fastest ways back to wonder. It’s a doorway. A reminder that we are more than what we can explain. Sometimes, we’ll stop mid-sentence while a playlist is on in the background because a note or chord hits us just right, and we both look at each other like, Did you hear that?! It’s in those moments that we feel closest to the heart of what we’re creating.

It’s not just about sound. It’s about magic.

Suggested Sensory Pairings

This is the month to diffuse oils that lift, brighten, and spark. Try:

🍊 Sweet Orange – for joy

🌿 Rosemary – for clarity and memory

🌸 Geranium – for heart-opening

✨ A mist of citrus, a crackling candle, a glass of something bubbly

You don’t have to search far to find wonder. It’s already here...waiting in the curve of a petal, the hush before a note begins, the way someone says your name with love. This month, practice looking again. Let astonishment interrupt your routines. Let beauty surprise you. Let joy sneak in through the cracks.

Because the world is still full of marvels...and you are one of them.