You Are Full Of Wonder

: Disney’s Animated Character, Alice In Wonderland

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines WONDER to be: (1) something or someone that is very surprising, beautiful, amazing, etc.; (2) a feeling caused by seeing something that is very surprising, beautiful, amazing, etc.; (3) something that is surprising or hard to believe. Now let’s talk about YOU.

Who ARE you?

There is no one quite like you and there never has been, nor will there ever be — for you are one-of-a-kind and . . . you are full of wonder. No matter who you may be, you will always be this fantastic being that is uniquely you — but now I’m going to really blow your mind and further inform you that you are everyone, and everyone is you. Is this a contradiction? I think not, but that is the subject of another post in this blog titled The Real You, and I’ll let Alan Watts explain in his beautiful 5 minute video masterpiece.

Now back to the matter at hand: You need only recognize this truism that you are full of wonder to see yourself in an entirely different light . . . sort of like looking in the mirror for the first time, but wearing special rose-colored glasses that allow you to not only see your beautiful human form, but your magnificent psyche, together with an epiphany realization that you are capable of doing things once thought impossible — thus you can now see yourself transformed into transcended totality.

The music video of Naughty Boy‘s production of “Wonder” features Emeli Sandé and celebrates the wonder that manifests by deciding to: (1) face fears; (2) deal with adversity; (3) persevere; (4) cultivate strength in unity; and (5) be the light to lead others out of darkness. In other words, meaningfully change what you don’t like in this world.

[Note: the below performance may be preceded by a brief advertisement & lyrics are below]

“Wonder”

I can beat the night
I’m not afraid of thunder
I am full of light
I am full of wonder

Wo-oh, oh-oh, I ain’t falling under
Wo-oh, oh-oh, I am full of wonder

Though our feet might ache
The world’s upon our shoulders
No way we gon’ break
Cause we are full of wonder

Wo-oh, oh-oh, we ain’t falling under
Wo-oh, oh-oh, we are full of wonder

This light is contagious
Go, go tell your neighbors
Just reach out and pass it on, ooh, yeah
This light is contagious
Go, go tell your neighbors
Just reach out and pass it on, ooh, yeah
This light is contagious
Go, go tell your neighbors
Just reach out and pass it on, ooh, yeah
This light is contagious
Go, go tell your neighbors
Just reach out and pass it on, yeah

Wo-oh, oh-oh, we ain’t falling under
Wo-oh, oh-oh, we are full of wonder

When everything feels wrong
And darkness falls upon you
Just try sing along
This is a message from Cabana (*)

If your heart turns blue
I want you to remember
This song is for you
And you are full of wonder

Wo-oh, oh-oh, we ain’t falling under
Wo-oh, oh-oh, we are full of wonder

(*) The name of Naughty Boy’s Album which features this song is called “Hotel Cabana” and thus the message is from this album.

The Cultural Significance Of Wonder

The notion of Wonder has long been part of the American culture, ranging from Wonder Bread . . . to Wonder Woman . . . to Robin, The Boy Wonder . . . to Disney’s iconic animated character Alice In Wonderland, which in 2010, morphed into a wild 3D IMAX cinematic tour de force . . .

And as you may know, this was an adaptation of Lewis Carroll‘s 1865 novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, a masterpiece classic about a young girl who falls down a rabbit hole and into a fantasy world so bizarre, it is likened by some to the manifestation of an “LSD trip”. It is also rife with timeless pithy aphorisms that are often facetious plays on philosophy and logic, many of which are germane to this blog on achieving happiness through self-actualization — for instance: