The Power of Pondering

Purposeful Wanderings – Bradford L Glass – April 2026

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“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass

Evolution has conferred upon humans a power of consciousness held by no other species on Earth, best we know. It’s what allows us to create/solve/dream; to choose the course of our lives; to make sense of ourselves and our world; to envision and manifest what’s possible; to contemplate the mysteries of life, universe, ourselves. Yet, for the limitless potential it affords, we seem to have a rather odd relationship with our consciousness. Part of that oddity is that we’re generally quite unaware of it, or its powers … so we miss out on much of our potential. What’s happening here?  Instead of missing out – unconsciously, I want to explore – consciously.

The way I see it, our “everyday consciousness” is made up largely of two kinds of activity: (1) “thinking” … which is a conscious process, using the mind to plan, figure, solve, create, get stuff done; and (2) “non-thinking” … which is an un-conscious stream of programmed, repetitive thoughts from the past continuously being ferried through our heads. We’d swear it’s thinking, but more accurately, those thoughts are thinking us! Research suggests that the overwhelming majority of our mind’s activity falls into this “non-thinking” category. Yet together, these two are “good enough” to get us through an ordinary day. This of course means that we have a lot of … ordinary days.

In my writing and coaching, I suggest regular practice of noticing your non-thinking, which helps your mind be clear, conscious, and objective, thereby robbing non-thinking of much of the power it has over us. But here I want to go beyond the everyday … and explore but one simple example of a higher level of consciousness: pondering.

I love the word ponder. I see pondering as a conscious process (i.e., in the present moment and intentional) defined by curiosity, wonder, discovery and questioning … but not looking for answers. You might think of it as “conscious awareness without an agenda.” The value of pondering is in silent inquiry, not in outcomes. Pondering opens your mind to greater powers than those needed to “get through a day.” It’s an opening to discovering, then connecting with, then honoring, your authentic self … and the potential your life is (and always has been). This is the “you” who may have gotten lost in both everyday consciousness and a learned obsession with “doing,” answers, agendas and outcomes. (You can save those for going to the grocery store, household chores, or projects at work.)

We learned to be obsessed with getting stuff done, so we came by our artificial limitation “honestly.” But perhaps surprisingly, this obsession has actually kept us from “getting stuff done” (because of our lack of awareness of “non-thinking.”) But it also relegates us to no more than “getting stuff done” (because of our lack of awareness of greater powers of consciousness). Together, these deny us the potential our consciousness offers. Perhaps this is why pondering is so lacking in our world … and we’re all the poorer for it.

So, if you’d like to dramatically expand your view of life, and expand the possibilities your life might become, then perhaps a foray into the realm of pondering – as a practice – might just open some new doors. The “work” here might look something like this: during planned, purposeful quiet time, imagine yourself sitting at the very edge of your known world (you know, beyond the to-do list, the struggles, the routines, the complaints, etc.). Gaze out beyond it all, and into your perhaps unknown world. You don’t need to know what’s there; all you need to do is look, ponder, ask “why?” and “what if?” See the exercise for more, and for details.

I ponder a lot. I may be “odd,” but I’m not alone. As Richard Wagamese says in his beautiful book, Embers, “Some call me odd; I prefer to think of myself as awed.” I can’t not ponder. I’m drawn naturally – to asking “why?” and “what if?” … to being curious, about nothing special and everything, all at the same time … to allow the unknown and the complex and the paradoxical to draw me (rather than scare me) … to wonder about who I am, why I’m here, how life works, how the universe hangs together … to notice the phenomena of serendipity, synchronicity and intuition at work in my life (rather than believe that it has to be ME that “makes it all happen.”)

Exercise: Pondering as a Practice: As introduced above, pondering – as a practice – might just open some new doors. The “work” here might look something like this: during planned, purposeful quiet time, imagine yourself sitting at the very edge of your known world (you know, beyond the to-do list, the struggles, the routines, the complaints, etc.). Gaze out beyond it all, and into your perhaps unknown world. You don’t need to know what’s there; all you need to do is look, ponder, ask “why?” and “what if?” Just be silent, but notice what comes up for you. You’re not looking for shiny objects here; you’re not looking for anything at all. You’re just “allowing” a far bigger world to touch you for a few minutes … and leave you just a wee bit more open to something bigger. Then do it all again the next day. Although it may seem counterintuitive, one day you’ll feel part of something bigger … that what used to be “beyond the edge” of your world may just feel inside it instead … that some of your “ordinary days” might just ‘take care of themselves,’ without so much energy expended on your part to manage them. This is the beginning of your leaning into a world of bigger possibility, Then, one day you realize that this possibility is there waiting for you … because it’s your own possibility … there all along, but now you can see it, feel it, touch it, and be drawn into it … without “trying” so damn hard. Allow this … and then keep pondering … and expanding.

Life Lessons from Nature: Eight big ideas guide nature’s way.  Collectively, they’ve not only created the majesty we experience when we’re in nature, but have sustained life on earth for some 14 billion years. Collectively, they also offer us a path, a framework for how we might sustain our own well-being. I’m highlighting two each month for four months. Here’s the last/fourth set of two:

Community: Survival favors collaboration, the creation of adaptive and resilient systems of order – from galaxies to ecosystems to organisms to atoms – communities built around a common thread. Everything occurs “in relationship.” Shared visions reinforce individual and collective. What if your relationships created a ‘spiral of possibility’ around you, bringing out the best in yourself and others?

Connectedness: Everything is inextricably connected to everything else. Fragments don’t survive. We’re united by the energy of creation. The universe is contained in every piece, no matter how small. Separating a piece from its wholeness so as to “get to know it” renders meaning useless, for connectedness is one of its attributes. What if you knew that how you see, think, speak and act has a profound effect, not only on your life, but on the lives of everything and everyone else, too?

Book of the month: I know I’ve suggested this more than once, but it may just be perfect for this month’s ideas. Embers, by Richard Wagamese. This is perhaps the best book I know of for exploring your inner world. And since that’s where your potential lives, his words may just help you find it. He must be a master ponderer, if there is such a thing, given the beauty of his words. Some of my favorites:

Nothing in the universe ever grew from the outside in.

I am a traveler on a sacred journey through this one shining day. I keep what’s true in front of me. I won’t get lost that way.

We have only moments. Live them as though not one can be wasted. Inhabit them, fill them with the light of your best good intention, honor them with your full presence, find the joy, the calm, the assuredness that allows the hours and days to take care of themselves.

Pack light. Don’t tire yourself out with unnecessary stuff, like your head, like your talk. If you travel with your heart and your silence, you’ll find your way.