MARI SELBY: Today I sit watching wave's crash against the shore, their sound rumbling and pounding against the beach. Whenever I go on retreat to the ocean I feel relaxed and filled with wonder. For me there is nothing like the ocean to sort out the neural paths in my brain, and soothe nerve endings often too stressed.

As an absolutely fabulous busy woman I have to remember that being stressed is not normal, and make a conscious choice to take time out and remember the miracle of the world around me. When I ignore the small miracles of the sun shining on the white breast of the gull soaring over the waves I lose a part of me. And I definitely am not fully present in that moment. This week I want to celebrate with you the marvel of the world.

Follow the Link to Louie Armstrong singing 'What a Wonderful World' This a song by Bob Thiele (using the pseudonym George Douglas) and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released as a single in 1968. Intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate in the U.S. (and written specifically for Armstrong, who had broad crossover appeal), the song details the singer's delight in the simple enjoyment of everyday life. The song also has a hopeful, optimistic tone with regard to the future, with reference to babies being born into the world and having much to look forward to. For those of you who are like me and always wanted the lyrics:

I see trees of green ~ red roses too
I see 'em bloom ~ for me and for you
And I think to myself ~ what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue ~ clouds of white
Bright blessed days ~ dark sacred nights
And I think to myself ~ what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow ~ so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces ~ of people going by
I see friends shaking hands ~ sayin' how do you do
They're really sayin' ~ I love you.

I hear babies cry ~ I watch them grow
They'll learn much more ~ than I'll never know
And I think to myself ~ what a wonderful world.

This week's exercise is to discover what you do daily to notice and appreciate the wonder in your life. Whether it's taking a walk in the park and seeing with new eyes the path you usually travel, or sitting at your window and viewing the sky with new eyes you can see and feel the marvels of the moment. Do you have a plant you can sit and contemplate the way it grows, a kitten who finds wonder in a piece of string, or a child who loves blowing bubbles? Give yourself the gift of wonder, and you will know yourself as more whole, and certainly more part of the whole. What a wonderful world we live in!