Summertime is fireworks season and, no matter what my driver’s license says, those technicolor explosions bursting overhead always make me feel like a child. “Ooh!,” I gush after each booming display. “Ah!” Even after hundreds of fireworks shows I still wonder at the beauty of a nighttime sky lit with blooming colors: “wow!”
There’s something magical about the experience of Awe. More than just a recognition of what’s happening, it’s a powerful, breathtaking acknowledgement of something bigger. That’s why Awe is an important part of the toolbox of positive emotions. Experiencing Awe opens us to the wonder of a world beyond our comprehension. It is expansive. It is mysterious. When we’re in awe of something, we don’t have to figure out all the answers, we can just experience the miraculous, delicious feeling of being amazed.
There are two parts to Awe: Vastness (experiencing something bigger than yourself) and then Accomodation (when you realize that this amazing thing is part of your life) What an uplifting experience to realize that glorious wonders and spectacular beauty are part of your life journey! The Grand Canyon is a breathtaking wonder of the world and as you see it, you realize that it’s part of YOUR world too. How cool it that?
Grandeur is relative. You don’t have to travel to the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower to be blown away. Lower case awe is important too. The taste of a perfectly ripe strawberry, the sound of a sweet baby’s giggle, and the salty, fresh air of the ocean are awesome treats not to be missed. Most importantly, remember that Awe requires a witness to become real. You are part of the equation here. You are what makes something awesome come to life. Awesome things are all around just waiting to be noticed. And if you write it all down in a journal? Even better. Author Annie Lamott describes this relationship perfectly in her book, Help, Thanks. Wow: The Three Essential Prayer:
Gorgeous amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandneices, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, “Well, that’s pretty much what I thought I’d see,” you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself, why are you even here? Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.
Ellen Bell a certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher with a specialty in the practice of positive journaling for wellness. Find out more about Ellen.