The Power of Awe: Transforming Our Lives in a Rapidly Advancing World
Growing up in my small, Nebraska hometown, I was in a constant state of awe. I was curious about the world and easily amazed by the things I encountered. I found joy in the simplest of things. I still remember the day that I learned that the appliance store on 4th Street routinely threw away gigantic boxes. Over the years, we hauled dozens of them back to our house, across Memorial Park, 5 blocks away. The box forts that my brothers and I built together are legendary. Awe inspiring.
As I grew older, chores, homework and responsibility began to consume my mind — and somewhere between grade school and middle school, I lost a bit of my sense of wonder and awe. It would be fair to say that cynicism and skepticism had become the dominant mantras of my life by the time my hometown released me to the world.
Fast forward to my mid 30s. I had a great family including three smart and talented children and a business that was growing and giving back to the community. Most of the people around me considered me to be a poster child of success.
Truth is, I wasn’t happy and didn’t know why.
In 2000, when I was 35 years old, Tawnya Starr moved to Nebraska to help launch the company that would later become Firespring. It didn’t take long for me to realize that she was experiencing the world differently than most. Her ability to find beauty in the mundane and to be amazed by nature was other-worldly. And she was unapologetic in the way that she felt and expressed joy. Over the years that followed, Tawnya taught me (through actions, not words) how to find joy in small things and to appreciate the awe that lurks around every corner. While I’m still a work in progress, I have evolved light years in my ability to cultivate awe and childlike joy.
Recently, I discovered the book “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life,” by Dacher Keltner. In the book, Keltner explores the power of awe and its transformative effects on our lives. According to Keltner, awe is an emotion that can be experienced in many different ways, from witnessing a breathtaking natural landscape to seeing a heroic act of kindness.
As humans, we have the capacity to experience awe in many different ways. From the natural world to cultural achievements, awe is a complex emotion that can take many different forms. In recent years, scientists and psychologists have attempted to categorize the different types of awe that we can experience. In so doing, we can better understand the benefits of this emotion and how we can cultivate it in our lives.
Let’s take a closer look at each of Keltner’s eight categories and what they entail:
1. Natural Wonders: This includes things like mountains, oceans, and the vastness of the night sky. When we experience awe in nature, we often feel small and insignificant in comparison to the grandeur of the world around us. This can be a humbling experience that reminds us of our place in the universe. Research has shown that spending time in nature benefits our mental health, including reducing stress and improving our mood. Awe-inspiring natural landscapes can also help us feel more connected to the world around us and to other people.
2. Art and Culture: This includes things like music, literature, and architecture. We are often moved by the beauty and complexity of human creativity and may feel inspired by the works of great artists or humbled by the achievements of our cultural predecessors. Experiencing awe in these ways often increases our own empathy and creativity. It can also help us feel more connected to our cultural heritage and to other people who share our appreciation for the arts.
3. Spirituality and Religion: This includes experiences related to faith, worship, and religious practices. Experiencing awe in this category often leads to a sense of connection to something greater than ourselves, whether it be a higher power or a spiritual community. It also aids our mental health, including reducing stress and increasing our sense of purpose, and helps us feel more connected to our communities.
4. Physical Prowess: This includes experiences related to sports, physical challenges, and feats of strength. We may be impressed by the physical abilities of others or inspired by our own physical achievements. This gives us more confidence and a sense of greater competence. It can also help us feel more connected to others who share our interest in physical activity and challenge.
5. Scientific Discovery: This includes experiences related to scientific knowledge and exploration, such as learning about the vastness of the universe or the intricacies of the human body. We may be impressed by the vastness of our scientific understanding or humbled by how little we still know about the world around us. It escalates our curiosity and creativity and can help us feel more connected to others who share our fascination with the natural world.
6. Social Connections: This includes experiences related to our relationships with others, such as feeling a strong sense of connection to a community or witnessing an act of kindness that inspires us. We may feel a sense of warmth and belonging that reminds us of the importance of human connection. Having strong social connections reduces feelings of loneliness and increases our sense of well-being and increases our empathy and compassion.
7. Heroic Acts: This includes experiences related to witnessing acts of bravery or selflessness, such as seeing a firefighter risk their life to save someone from a burning building. We may be inspired by the courage and selflessness of others. This enhances our sense of gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices that others make for us.
8. The Cosmos: This includes experiences related to the vastness of space and the mysteries of the universe. We may be struck by the incredible scale of the universe and the wonders that exist beyond our planet. This elevates our sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around us and helps us feel more connected to the natural world and to others who share our fascination with space and the universe.
Why Awe is Important Now More Than Ever
So why is it important to experience awe in our lives? In a world that is increasingly dominated by technology and artificial intelligence, we can provide a much-needed reminder of the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
Research has shown that experiencing awe can have numerous benefits for our mental and physical health. For example, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that experiencing awe can increase our sense of well-being and decrease feelings of anxiety and depression. Another study published in the journal Emotion found that experiencing awe can increase our feelings of compassion and altruism.
Awe can also help us feel more connected to our sense of purpose and to the larger human community. When we experience awe, we are reminded of the many wonders and mysteries that exist in the world, and we may feel inspired to explore and discover more about ourselves and the world around us.
How to Cultivate Awe in Your Life
There are many different ways to cultivate more awe in your life. Here are a few ideas based on Keltner’s work to get you started:
- Spend time in nature: Whether it’s hiking in the mountains or walking on the beach, this can be a powerful way to experience awe and connect with the world around us.
- Visit museums and cultural sites: Exploring art and culture can be a great way to experience awe and appreciate the many achievements of human creativity.
- Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness can help us be more present and aware, which can make it easier to experience awe in our everyday lives.
- Connect with others: Building strong social connections and engaging in acts of kindness and compassion can help us experience awe in our relationships with others.
- Learn something new: Exploring new ideas and learning about the world can be a powerful way to experience awe and increase our sense of wonder and curiosity.
- Look up at the stars: Taking time to gaze at the night sky can be a powerful reminder of the vastness and beauty of the universe.
A Year From Now, You’ll Wish You’d Have Started Cultivating Awe Today
By cultivating awe in our lives, we can increase our sense of well-being, reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, and feel more connected to the world around us. Awe can also help us feel more connected to our sense of purpose and to the larger human community. And quite frankly, it just makes life more fun to always be focused on finding joy instead of finding fault.
Recently, I built an epic blanket fort in our basement to impress Tawnya, my wife. She hadn’t yet been the beneficiary of the insane fort-building talent I developed as a child. We made popcorn, watched a few movies and enjoyed each other’s company in a magical space of our own creation. There is no greater joy on earth. :-)
Jay Wilkinson is the founder of Firespring and Cofounder of the Do More Good Movement. His life’s mission is to cultivate his own consciousness and be a catalyst for others to do the same. He’s got a lot of work to do.
