(For part 1 click here)

So how can you live such a life of wonder?

The first step is to go back to when you were a child. Then, your life was simple and many things were a real wonder to you: you didn’t know how children were made, were wondering who the real Santa was (among the many you had seen), maybe how computers worked (you might still not know). In any case you were always eager to learn and the world looked a bit like a fairy tale to you.

You didn’t let fear and failure discourage you. You were always asking questions. And more questions. And then even more questions. You were constantly rebuilding your understanding of the world, figuring things out and then asking more questions to consolidate your views. Going back in time and letting your inner child’s mindset pervade you, you start putting yourself in the mindset of constant learning. Take your time and picture situations in details. Let your perspective change.

Once you’re done, come back to the present and start looking at the world with different eyes. Think of every day occurrences. Think of what you have done today, how you have approached different situations, what you have learnt. Think about this week or this month. What could you have done differently? What could have happened if you had approached your days with a child’s mindset? Now think about tomorrow, next week, next month and how differently you can approach the world.

Be hungry for knowledge. Be curious about the world, start asking questions. Accept and ponder new ideas, even if they challenge your current view of the world. Explore. When you hear or learn something intriguing, dig deeper. Ask yourself or others more questions. Ask experts their views on the matter.

Be in awe with the world, ponder its dark corners. You probably have experienced this feeling of awe when looking at a clear sky full of stars at night and contemplating the immensity of our galaxy and beyond. Nurture that feeling and rejoice in it when you get it while exploring our world. Be a child and don’t pretend you know everything. The more you learn, the more you notice that you don’t know much. And when you learn something big and start seeing some of its implications, when you get a “aha” moment, bathe in the revelation, let the excitement be the reward for seeking knowledge and understanding.

Now that you are ready to learn, we will see, in part 3, how you can keep increasing your knowledge, learning new skills and building new habits every day.