The Power of Awe: How to Cultivate Awe. Be Intentional

What do you do to cultivate awe? Awe can be spontaneous and sometimes we need to nudge it by being intentional about cultivating awe for ourselves and others.

I’ve been thinking about intentionally cultivating awe often over the past year. I hear and read so many comments about lamenting the loss of the activities and events that we have depended on to feed moments of awe. Yes, many of us have had fewer opportunities (or the ability) to travel, socialize, or even work and network face-to-face with others which offers opportunities for renewal. However, I believe we can experience renewal with small daily doses of intentionally cultivated awe.

Keep in mind that by its very definition, awe comes in a vast variety of sources. What works for one person, might not work for another. Start here with a little inventory of your own awesome experiences. What worked for you? What do you need more?

In the previous blogs in this series, I eluded to uncovering practical ways to cultivate more awe in our lives. Here are some ideas that might work for you.

1. Awesome writing! Block ten minutes early in your day to cultivate awe. An early-day practice will combat the “low rumble of discontent” that can seep into our lives when we feel loss or the absence of joy.
   • Scan your memories for awesome experiences. Something you witnessed, read about, or an event in which you took an active role.
   • Consider the ways in which you experienced the vastness. Was it physical, psychological, emotional, a combination, or all three?
   • Relive and feel the awe by describing your experience with as much detail as possible. What did you see, hear, smell, taste, feel? How did you respond? What did you learn? How did you change? Open your vocabulary to awesome words that expand and intensify your experience (have a dictionary and thesaurus handy). As an example, return to my previous blog in which I described three experiences of being in the presence of awe.
2. Awesome reading! Again, block ten minutes early in your day to find and read an awe-inspiring story:
   • A biography. I LOVE women's biographies – especially prior to the 21st Century. There is nothing more awesome and inspiring to me than reading about women who, in spite of their social challenges, lived their lives in order to make life better for future generations and to contribute to our humanity. 
   • A scientific discovery. Space, human and animal behaviour, plant life, the brain, genetics, archeology, robots, climate change. Do you remember the awe you felt when learning about these topics in grade/primary school? I could not wait to get back into the classroom after recess.
   • A blog post or a blog series. Maestro’s Encore, I hope.
   • A news story. There are so many amazing inspiring stories beyond the fear and drama of current events. A word of caution: Avoid negative or clickbait headlines. Avoid celebrity success stories. Avoid anything that competes with or distracts from the awe-some-ness of your life.

Curate your “go-to” sources as you find stories that trigger genuine awe: websites, journals, blogs – this blog, I hope. Look for stories that illustrate a sense of vastness (physically, psychologically, and emotionally) and alter your understanding of the world and your place in it. In my previous blog, I introduced you to one of my “go-to” sources: Greater Good Magazine – Science-Based Insights for A Meaningful Life.

3. Awesome tripping! This may take a bit more time than ten minutes. Remember, it’s an investment in your well-being and resilience. Depending on where you live (or work), take as little as 30 minutes daily. Awesome tripping is about being in nature; about noticing the natural state of things around you, including the landscape, the weather, the subtle and powerful changing of the seasons.
   • Go for a walk, sit in a park or sit in a neighbourhood playground. Sit on a swing. Swings are not just for kids.
   • Go for a drive, visit a museum or an art gallery, or simply stand outside or pause for a look out a window.

Even viewing nature virtually—through photos, paintings, videos, etc.— can create awe. If you cannot get outside and experience nature “in person”, experience nature virtually. Here’s the research on interactive VR environments for inducing the “chills and goosebumps” of awe.

4. Awesome time tripping! A visual trip through your own photo collection and consciously appreciating your development through your life can be an awesome experience in appreciating the magic of your body, your mind, and your spirit. I write often about cherishing a favourite childhood photo of yourself and consciously appreciating how that little person has grown into the awesome person that you are today. Time-tripping to a vacation on a Caribbean island immediately brings on a sense of renewal for me as I recall and relive moments of awe. 

Awesome at Any Age

Remember, awe comes from a vast variety of sources. Explore your own personal historical sources of awesomeness and be open to future opportunities. Consider spending time with younger and older individuals. Children can help you see the world as novel and wondrous. Indulge their “why” questions. Older individuals have experienced lives that we can only imagine through their stories. They might just be a hero in disguise and they need the renewal benefit of awe in telling their stories. 

Be Still, Listen, and Be in Awe of An Elder's Story

When I am digging deep to cultivate awe – intentionally – I recall sitting at my parents’ kitchen table with three generations listening to my aunt (in her 80s) tell the story of three young children (aged 12, 11, and 2) taken from their father when he could not adequately care for them after their mother had died. My aunt told us about the eldest brother’s plot to escape from an orphanage and run away with his baby brother. I watched my dad (who was that “baby brother” now in his 70s) hang on every word of his older sister's story. The experience was riveting to say the least. The awe I felt was overwhelming and something I will never forget. I sensed my dad's awe. I saw it in his eyes and heard it in his words of wonder.

Again, awe is a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear and wonder. Awe transcends our sense of Self, our history, and our place in the world. Awe contributes to our curiosity, courage, and inspiration to move forward to do great things.

I would love to hear about how you intentionally cultivate awe in your life.

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