Learning to Appreciate the World Full of Wonders

The world is such a wonderful creation of God. It contains the bluest oceans, greenest forests, brownest mountains, and the loveliest living organisms. The wonders of the world are undoubtedly enormous – one could never run out of beautiful things to discover every day. Gabriella Eva Nagy, a Hungarian-born American author, writes and illustrates books that emphasize both the simple and complex beauty of God’s creations. Her first published book Lady, Lady, Ladybug (2014), for example, is a charming children’s book about the joyous trip of a ladybug that explores the beautiful creation of nature. Enchanted Rainbows (2019), on the other hand, focuses on perhaps the most essential creation of God – humans. It highlights the importance of making people feel loved, especially on their birthdays. In general, these books contain the reflections of Gabriella Eva Nagy on the wonders of the world. As the books of Gabriella Eva Nagy demonstrate, taking the time to pause, look around, and appreciate the world is very important. Nowadays, life has become busier and faster-paced than ever. Almost everyone is packed with obligations and scheduled activities that it has become difficult to find a moment to rest and reflect on the beauty of the world around. This should not be the case, however. Being appreciative is an essential element in maintaining a positive attitude. When you know how to appreciate your surroundings, you become optimistic and grateful for all of the things that God has gifted you with. Below are some of the most essential and effective measures you can do if you want to become more appreciative of the wonderful world around you. Spend more time outdoorsrnThe beautiful creations of God are found mostly outside, not inside the four walls of your bedroom or office. The blue ocean, green trees, bright sky, fresh air – all of these are found and experienced outside. If you want to discover and appreciate more of these earthly wonders, you need to spend more time outdoors. Many people spend hours on an exhausting commute or often walk to shops and stores to run errands, but only a few regularly dedicate their attention to the magnificence of the natural world. These people miss a lot of opportunities to see the beauty of the world because they are so busy going about their lives. If you do not want to be like one of these people, always find some time to go outside not to run errands, but to breathe fresh air and sit under a tree. Venture into nature, walk on a golden beach, swim around a peaceful river, most importantly, be surrounded by nothing but the wonders of nature. Befriend animalsrnBefriending animals can help you become more attentive and appreciative of the creations of God. Spending time with playful cats or observing the sincere loyalty of dogs, for example, can already teach you so many things about life, particularly about building connections. Humans belong to the animal kingdom, so it is not surprising to know that people have an essential connection with animals like dogs, cats, cows, and more. Unlike humans, however, these animals are innocent. They are unencumbered by human complexities such as self-consciousness, shame, guilt, and conscience. Even so, they are still able to build relationships with one another and even with people. This is one of the most astonishing things about the world – the ability of animals to develop deep connections beyond consciousness. By befriending animals, you will be able to realize and appreciate more the profoundness and even the mysteries of God’s creations. Have more conversations with peoplernAll people have stories to tell. They all carry with them some lessons and wisdom that they would like to share to others. Such sharing of stories and lessons with one another is one of the most important wonders of life. In this vast world, you will never be able to know and experience everything about life. You can only learn fragments of them through the stories of other people. If you want to be more appreciative of the creations of God (both those you already know and those you have not known yet), then you should have more conversations with people. Listen to the stories that they have to tell. Understand and see the world from their viewpoints. By conversing frequently with other people, you will be both humbled and inspired. It will make you appreciate the vastness and utter mystery of the world. Pay attention to selfless actsrnAside from wonders, the world is also filled with evils. It is corrupted in one way or another. There are plenty of unkind acts everywhere. In darker times, it can be difficult to resist the thought that people are naturally selfish, that everything they do in this world is directed toward self-interest. However, this is not necessarily true. If you only take the time to pause and look around, you will see that there are also plenty of kind acts out there. Many people manifest true selflessness by sacrificing time, money, and sometimes even safety to help other people in need. This is yet another wonder of God’s creation – altruism and the ability of people to go beyond self-importance. Paying attention to these altruistic people and their selfless acts will certainly make you more appreciative of life and everything in it. By taking the time to look around and appreciate your surroundings, you can understand more about the world and how it revolves. Indeed, the world is full of wonder and joy illuminated by the presence of God. Cultivating the habit of appreciating these wonders will turn you into a more grateful and optimistic person. It will help you generate more reflections about life like the reflections of Gabriella Eva Nagy. So, learn to be more appreciative now and enjoy every wonder that the omnipotent God has created!