Sometimes I get stuck in a rut of complacency or even discontent—living with blinders on my eyes or a pall over my emotions. When this happens, life feels ordinary and mundane. Nothing seems important.
I have always tried to live by the ‘awe principle.’ That is: Can I find awe, wonder and enchantment in the most mundane things conceivable?
— Craig Hatkoff (b. 1954) American real estate investor and writer of children’s books
Being alive should never feel mundane or be taken for granted. Daily routines can become monotonous and things may not be as we wish them to be—whether it is a job or our creative output.
The important thing is to keep every day vibrant and extraordinary—never see anything as commonplace. Even the smallest detail, the tiniest moment—all can be important. We need to stop and notice—to look closely and to observe—to take time and breathe in life.
What excites me is just taking some time to breathe in life. The mundane is very exciting.
— Viola Davis (b. 1965) American actress and film producer
Other words for mundane from Roget’s Thesaurus include: unsacred, temporal, worldly, unredeemed, common, ordinary, unimpassioned, pedestrian, humdrum, unimaginative, insipid, tiresome, dull, uninspired
Some of those words are value judgments and others reflect that I am not bringing anything to the moment. Years ago, when I was studying voice, I worked on a great deal of jazz repertoire. I even sang a few gigs. I realized during that time that I could not simply “show up at the party . . . I had to BE the party.”
That may also be true about life. Am I simply an observer, making judgment calls—or am I bringing something to each moment? Am I bringing myself to each moment? Am I making each day sacred and filled with passion?
When caught in a cycle of thinking everything is mundane . . . it may be that I need to change my perspective.
Mundane is beautiful too . . .
like the quiet rhythm of raindrops on a windowpane, or the simple elegance of a sunrise painting the sky in hues of pastel . . .
like a worn book filled with familiar stories, or a chipped mug cradling your morning coffee . . .
The mundane holds a quiet magic, a comfort in its constancy.
― Monika Ajay Kaul, born in Kashmir, is a writer of poems and short stories
Recently, a friend of mine, who was a wonderful writer and storyteller, died suddenly in his sleep. His son shared these words from one of the prayers my friend wrote:
. . . we are, all of us, a breath of the divine, suspended for a moment in the light.
― Rick Shelton (1958-2025) teacher, writer, and fly fisher
To see everyone and every moment as a breath of the divine . . . that is the lesson my friend taught. To replace my impatience with wonder. To be passionate about everything. After all, life is extraordinary. Every moment deserves attentiveness.
He took pleasure in her inconsequential talk just as he did in the sunshine and the snow.
― Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) American author
Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous.
― Bill Moyers (1934-2025) American journalist and political commentator
As a matter of fact, I deliberately look for the mundane, because I feel these stories are ignored. The most influential things that happen to virtually all of us are the things that happen on a daily basis. Not the traumas.
― Harvey Pekar (1939-2010) American underground comic book writer, music critic, and media personality
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