“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement…get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” –Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

This quote has been bouncing around in my head these days, reminding me about the importance of looking and seeing and noticing. I want to live more like this, don’t you? With eyes wide open to wonder. Taking nothing for granted. In radical amazement.

Over on Instagram, I’ve been flexing my wonder muscles and really trying to keep my eyes wide open in radical amazement. Here are some of the things I’ve seen.

Pumpkin Amazigness

I saw some pumpkins and Indian corn cobs and gourds (don’t you love that word? —gourd—it reminds me of the way my house mistress at boarding school used to pronounce “God”—which of course was revolting and made all of us cringe). But what about those shapes? And the patterns? And that texture and colour? I love how outrageously unapologetically weird they all are. They are totally happy in their weirdness. I think perhaps we could all be a bit more like a gourd.

Street Art

I saw this person on the wall. The artist, with minimal strokes, made me see what he saw. It made me think about writing. That’s one thing you hope for in writing —to get people to see something the way you see it. Art as generosity. Also, the economy of line—to do it using the least amount of words. And I love that the artist used black and white lines.

Beauty in the Derelict

I saw this plant. I love that it’s growing on a derelict wall. Growing where it is. Does it know it’s part of a beautiful painting?

Wonderful Window Detail

I saw this leaded light window, with spiral iron window stay, set in Ham stone, on an Elizabethan mansion. (The window stay was used to keep the window open.) It made me think of new adventures and keeping our windows open to them!

What about you? What things can you open your eyes to this week? What phenomenal, incredible things are all around you that you can take notice of in radical amazement?

Can you grab a camera or grab your phone and intentionally take notice? I’d love to see what you’re seeing, so consider posting some of your photos to Instagram and tag me with #sallylloydjones. Let’s live in radical amazement together.

Remember: “To be spiritual is to be amazed.”