Admit it. There is a sense of wonder and excitement when you see a rainbow. You pause, look and point, maybe take a photo, you mention it to a friend that day, and you might even completely LOSE IT over a double. Rainbows never get old and neither should life.
Rainbows are symbolic of peace and of serenity. They are also symbolic in that they appear when the sun breaks through the clouds when rain has fallen. This provides us with a very powerful message that, metaphorically, despite the rain that may fall in our daily lives, beauty will prevail and the sun will shine again.
I like to use the word Rainbow as an acronym to “paint colors” in my daily life, much like a rainbow that breaks through the clouds. These “colors” of the rainbow may bring up emotions or a sense of the below:
Romance
Do not think for a second you need to be in a relationship to create romance in your world. Romance may mean lighting some candles and having a nice bath on your own, while for others it could be a walk in the park with a friend or partner, listening to some beautiful classical music, or enjoying a nice glass of wine while watching the stars.
It is up to you how you define romance in the world around you.
Abundance
Having a sense of abundance means being grateful and appreciative for everything good in your life. It could be having a wonderful group of friends or family members, appreciating the beautiful nature around you, feeling spiritually connected to the world and others.
We all have abundance in our lives, and it is important to notice and pay attention to the positives, especially during challenging times.
A great habit to get into is writing down 3 things in the morning or evening (or both!) that you are grateful for and appreciative of. This will also help to create more abundance in your life by saying to the universe, “YES, I appreciate that and want more of that (please).” Manners also matter.
Imagination
Research has shown that creativity and imagination tend to decline as we age. Think about what you naturally gravitated to when you were a child—what sparked your imagination then? Perhaps it was painting, music, poetry, dancing, acting, or writing stories.
Quite often, we forget about our natural creative talents when we become adults, and then suddenly later on in life, we think, “Hang on a second… I was actually good at art when I was younger, why did I stop?!” Now that’s an article for another time.
Taking walks in nature can help spark imagination. Meditation is also a great tool to ignite imagination, as it allows the space in our minds to be cleared and ideas to flow more organically. Personally, some of my greatest ideas have come to me through the silence of meditation.
Nirvana
No, not the band! Nirvana means to be in a complete state of peace and happiness. It can mean enlightenment, although do not think you need to achieve this.
Think about times in your life when you were at your happiest or had a complete sense of peace—what were you doing? Whether it’s lying on a beach on holiday or having a picnic in the park with your family or friends, it’s important to remember those moments and make a conscious effort to create space for more of them in your life.
Beauty
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so what you perceive to be beautiful is completely up to you. For me, being able to see beauty in everyday, seemingly mundane things can make life so much more enjoyable. Watching the trees blow in the wind, noticing the beautiful colors of the autumn leaves, seeing the sun break through the clouds, listening to the birds singing.
Quite often it is the small things that make us the happiest. Being alive and walking this earth is probably the most beautiful thing in the world. Pause; appreciate it and yourself as often as possible.
Oneness
Having a sense of oneness means being completely unified with someone or something. Oneness is about connectedness; it should bring on a sense of peace and calmness. Once again, meditation is great at achieving this state of bliss.
For some it could be feeling completely connected to the universe, to god, a higher power or being part of a conscious community where ideas are shared and all members are equal. Performing a completely selfless act can help to create a sense of oneness.
Wonder
Last but not least, my favorite is wonder. The definition of wonder is a feeling of amazement and admiration, which is caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar. Creating a sense of wonder is a commitment and can take some discipline before it becomes second nature again in the same way it did to us as children.
Think about yourself as a child and how vast and magnificent the world was around you when everything was so new and exciting. What would that inner child be telling you to do now? How can you bring a sense of that inner child back?
Having a sense of wonder can help us through challenging times and to grasp onto that hope that there are bigger things at play in our lives. There is real magic around us if we choose to see it, and isn’t life more exciting that way?
Imagine the world with no rainbows for a minute… It would be pretty gray and dull, and no one wants a life like that either right?
Ask yourself: What color do I want to paint my life today? Pick at least one activity in the morning and commit to it during the day. The more colors you paint in, the better.
So how about it? Let’s paint a beautiful world together.
