Making the Ordinary Extraordinary
Wouldn’t you like to have a dollar for every time you heard someone (usually a kid or teen) complain that they are bored? A teacher once told her students that there are, “no uninteresting topics, just uninterested people.”
Most of us have both evaluative and judgmental minds, assessing the extent of value we perceive in an object, situation, or person. What if you and I chose to find some meaning in even routine experiences? For example, we could seek what is unique, special, beautiful, or even magnificent about a situation we often regard as ordinary or perhaps just humdrum. I call that mindset, “making the ordinary extraordinary.” More simply yet, we can feel truly grateful for something very basic, such as the ease of our breath, or for having running water in our home.
Consider the possible implications of that kind of mindset or attitude. I suggest that by developing the habit of being consciously present and appreciative, your energy level would increase and your mood would likely become enhanced. Furthermore, your demeanor may very well have a positive impact on those with whom you are interacting. And how about the effect on your job success or whatever you are trying to accomplish?
Since my early twenties, I have been regularly talking to so-called strangers. I am consistently fascinated by what I learn from these people and/or how much I’m entertained in the process. Often I leave these encounters feeling so glad that I risked engaging with those seemingly ordinary people. I also appreciate what I offer them in return.
During nature walks, I also like to seek out the surprises in opening various senses to the small things, e.g. stamens on flowers or tiny bugs, as well as the large ones, such as cloud shapes and mountains on the horizon.
In summary, I’m pointing out how life can be so exciting and full when we decide to treat each opportunity as extraordinary in some way. Miracles really do abound!
Your life coach,
Jim Sharon
(303) 796-7004
jim@energyforlife.us
Jim Sharon, EdD is a recently retired licensed psychologist and couples' coach who has over four decades of professional experience serving thousands as a counselor, as a life and relationship coach, and as a seminar and retreat facilitator. Dr. Sharon has authored and edited many professional publications, including HeartWise: Deepening and Evolving Love Relationships, published in 2021, as well as Secrets of a Soulful Marriage: Creating and Sustaining a Loving, Sacred Relationship, published in 2014 (both with Ruth Sharon, MS). Jim and Ruth have been married since 1970, have raised three adult children, and have three granddaughters and one grandson.