To wonder. To wonder with no plan for where it might lead. No strategy for arrival. No finish line. No pot of gold. No perfect score. No striving for. —Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Intention
Maria Popova’s introduction to Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s poetry led me directly to Intention, and its words resonated deeply, sparking a fresh sense of wonder. Yet, a question arose: Am I too ingrained in my ways to embrace anything without a meticulously crafted plan, a clear strategy, or a defined goal? Have my habits truly locked me into a rigid existence, stripping me of the capacity to proceed with true abandon? While I know the exhilaration that such freedom promises, can I genuinely shed the accumulated chains of habit and fear when it counts?
This feeling of being perpetually “locked in”—where every action feels tethered to an agenda—is, perhaps, a modern affliction, the antithesis of genuine wonder. But it’s never too late to reclaim that youthful part of ourselves that still believes in the magic of the unplanned moment. The chains I sense aren’t forged from iron; they are subtly woven from fear and ingrained habit. And like any habit, they can be unlearned.
Perhaps what I’m truly yearning for is to wander again. Not aimlessly, but with a different purpose: the profound joy of discovery. This isn’t about forsaking responsibilities but about consciously creating space for the spontaneous, the unexpected, and the unplanned. It’s about granting myself permission to follow a sudden whim, to pick up a book simply because its cover intrigues me, or to deviate from my usual route just to see where a new path leads.
Children, with their boundless curiosity, offer us a perfect blueprint. Rosemerry urges us to observe a small child’s fascination with a roly-poly and see where that pure engagement takes them. Don’t we all marvel at the play of young children, their entire beings consumed by an unadulterated curiosity and a striking fearlessness?
My football coaches used to preach playing with “reckless abandon.” They never meant carelessness, but rather an unburdening from the fear of failure. It was about trusting one’s raw instincts, playing the game with every fiber of your being, simply for the inherent love of it.
At this juncture in life, isn’t it time to finally unlock that long-lost feeling of wonder, to embrace the journey without needing to know the destination?
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