A Life With Awe
When was the last time you felt awe?
By definition it’s that feeling of reverential respect for something vast that changes our understanding of the world. Like looking up at the million stars in the night sky or marveling at the birth of a child.
When people feel awe , they use words like wonder, amazement, or transcendence to describe the experience. Or maybe they just say WOW.
I felt awe four years ago when I climbed to the southwest edge of the Grand Canyon. It is part of an Indian Reservation, not encumbered by fences, sidewalks or guardrails. Just a little rope reminding us it was not safe to peak over the edge. It was spectacular.
I was in awe.
I was also in awe the first time I rode my bike around the block by myself. I may have been five (late bloomer). The freedom of discovery on my own felt every bit as awe(some) as my trip to the Grand Canyon 60 years later.
We need to get back there. Finding magical moments in the simplicity of life. We need to find more awe. We need to see life through the eyes of a child.
Dr Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology at the University of California wrote the book -
Awe:The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. The title of the book makes my point, but I will continue. Dr Keltner spent two decades studying awe and wrote “awe can positively effect our bodies, our relationships, and our view of life.”
This isn’t just a ‘feel good” thing. Awe actually has a biological effect. Awe activates our vagnus nerve, slows our heart rate, helps with digestion (this one seems out of place), cools inflammation, and opens up our bodies to things bigger than ourselves.
OK, I am in. How do we do the awe thing in our daily lives, like when we were five. Did you see the animated Pixar movie Inside Out? I didn’t want to watch it because it was animated…you know, for little kids. A problem with attitude in my search for awe. The movie is an incredible discovery of the human brain and emotions. The movie introduces us to the Awe Walk. An opportunity to discover awe by walking without distractions(read no phone), and bringing back a childlike curiosity of our surroundings. Nature is full of awe if we allow ourselves to see it. And yes, I watched the movie. I loved it.
Dr Paul Piff, Associate Professor of Psychology at UC Irvine says this about awe, “we tend to have a sense of novelty and gratitude associated with aging. We have more meaningful goals as we grow older and experience awe among meaningful relationships”. Awe is certainly available to us at any age, however research would suggest that awe may be even more available to us as we age.
I think I will leave it right there and go on an Awe Walk. Who is with me?
Enjoy your day.
Just a little extra-
Events in our childhood felt so big, and seemed so special. May I suggest it was a fun way to live. Yes, I am going back to this thought. I think we can and should live this way again, with this awe thing as a central theme. We can do this with just a few adjustments.
Focus on the moment
Minimize the noise in our day
Cherish the small pleasures
Look at life with the curiosity of a child
References
Bergland, Christopher. September 29, 2024.The Power of Awe. Psychology Today
September 1, 2024. Scientists Ask People To Do 1 Thing While Taking a Walk. Huffpost