THE THOUGHT

Last night, I found Ripley, our cat, watching the snow fall outside our bedroom window. It was one of those slow cascades where each snowflake hovers briefly, as if carefully choosing where to land. I couldn't help but sit beside her, captivated by her curiosity. There's something undeniably magical about snow drifting quietly through moonlight.

I still vividly remember the first time I saw snow fall. I've never felt quite that way before—and doubt I ever will again. It was pure wonder: amazement at how something so delicate could transform entire landscapes, absorb all sound, and even slow down time.

Today, after fourteen snowy winters, snow has lost some of its magic. It's now just another piece of life's backdrop, easily overlooked. Have you ever noticed how quickly things remarkable turn routine?

How many other beautiful moments pass by unnoticed, hidden right in front of us simply because we've stopped looking?

THE DEEP DIVE

The Paradox of Getting Used to It

There's a psychological reason why many wonders lose their magic over time. Habituation—a fundamental, adaptive mechanism—occurs when repeated exposure reduces our emotional response. Initially thrilling experiences, like a new home or car, quickly become commonplace. Our brains are wired this way to conserve emotional energy, marking the familiar as safe, predictable, and thus, unimportant.

This adaptation extends far beyond material things. It shapes our relationships, careers, and even our self-perception. Achievements, personal strengths, and relationships, experiences that once sparked pride or joy, gradually become familiar and fade into the background.

Though efficient, habituation reinforces the misconception that meaning lives only in novel, exceptional events. Thankfully, many argue exactly the opposite:

• Writer David Foster Wallace famously argued that our attention is a choice, meaning we can intentionally discover profound value in ordinary moments.

• Psychologist Daniel Kahneman further emphasizes that lasting happiness depends less on dramatic events and more on deliberately noticing and appreciating routine experiences.

The hidden risk of habituation is a perpetual restlessness that compels us to chase novelty at any cost. Yet lasting meaning often lies in the ordinary. Relationships deepen through repeated interactions, creativity thrives with consistent practice, and genuine fulfillment emerges quietly from intentional daily moments.

THE PRACTICE

Rediscovering Wonder

Habituation is inevitable, but not irreversible. It can be reframed as an invitation toward mindfulness and deeper appreciation. Here's an experiment:

• Choose an everyday routine you usually perform without thinking.

• Introduce one small change: take a different route on your daily walk, sit in a different spot, or alter how you brush your teeth.

• Notice how you feel afterward. Did you experience curiosity, anxiety, or perhaps joy?

For example, I choose a different coffee mug each morning. It’s a tiny decision, but as one of the first conscious choices of my day, it briefly signals that I can step out of autopilot whenever I wish. It sets the tone, reminding me that the day ahead isn't fixed, but open to deliberate actions and full of potential.

The goal of reframing an experience is to remind ourselves that how we see determines what we notice. Underneath the clutter of everyday life lies genuine wonder, patiently waiting, inviting us to pay attention.

Just like a quiet snowfall, seemingly ordinary daily moments become magical if we're willing to notice. But if all else fails, follow the wisdom of a cat.