The Power of Awe and Wonder
Ever feel stuck, unable to see a way forward? Or find yourself caught in what seems like a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario?
Cultivating a sense of awe and wonder may open your eyes to new possibilities.
A recent study describes awe as “an experience of such perceptual expansion that you need new mental maps to deal with the incomprehensibility of it all.” [1] Simply put, awe blows your mind, expanding your ability to see possibilities where you’d previously seen nothing but dead ends.
Author Henry Miller once wrote, “The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass, it become a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” And therein lies the challenge. Cultivating a deeper sense of awe and wonder requires closer attention which, in turn, requires greater energy. And we are biologically wired to conserve energy. But I would suggest that the benefits make the effort worth it. [2]
How can you cultivate greater awe and wonder today? Here are some options to try:
Pretend you’re an alien from another planet, seeing everything for the first time. What do you notice anew?
Cultivate curiosity by asking “why”. Kids ask “why” all the time as a way of learning and growing, but we often stop as adults and simply accept things as ordinary when they are, in fact, extraordinary.
Slow down. Awe and wonder rarely happen on the run. Take a really slow walk, preferably outside. Be fully present and engage all your senses, allowing the experience to fill you up.
With practice, you’ll experience awe and wonder more often. And you may find yourself better equipped to discern and navigate new roads when the road you’re traveling seems like a dead end.
[1] http://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/being-in-awe-can-expand-time-and-enhance-well-being.html
[2] https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/06/07/awe-has-health-benefits-our-wellbeing-how-add-your-life/7586396002/
