Cultivating Awe. The science of tapping into a new aspect of a familiar landscape.
The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ― W.B. Yeats
The New Science of Everyday Wonder: How Cultivating Awe Can Transform Your Life
“We are so busy managing our lives,” writes the Irish poet and author John o’Donohue, that “we forget this great mystery we are involved in.”
In today’s post, we’ll explore the new science of everyday wonder, and how cultivating awe can transform your Life.
Keep on reading because this post will shed some light that might empower you to see things differently.
Please enjoy.
The New Science of Everyday Wonder: How Cultivating Awe Can Transform Your Life
The new science of everyday wonder shows that cultivating awe is the feeling of being struck by these vast mysteries and wanting to explore them.
For the first time in history, the tech world got us all under a chokehold.
And what the research shows is that these tech giants often gets in the way of us experiencing awe-inspiring moments.
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Fish In the Sea, You Know How I Feel.
In his 2005 commencement speech, American novelist and short story writer, David Foster Wallace told―his now-infamous story about the two young fish, to the graduating class at Kenyon College.
The story begins with these two young fish swimming along. Then came an older fish approaching from the other end. He nodded to them. Then says “Morning, boys. How’s the water?”
The two young fish swim on for a bit.
Then one of them looks over at the other and goes: “What the hell is water?”
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Entrepreneur Derek Sivers also reminds us that, “Fish don’t know they’re in water.
And according Sivers, the same can be said about cultures.
“We’re surrounded by it, said Sivers, that it is impossible to see.”
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If this isn’t nice, what is?
Our next story takes us to well-known American writer and humorist, by the name of Kurt Vonnegut.
Vonnegut was also known for his controversial speeches that he’d give to graduating students, along with his wits, and insights on cultivating awe.
One story in particular came to mind, is that of his beloved uncle, Alex.
See, uncle Alex was a simple man.
And one of the things that Vonnegut explained his uncle would find strange, and downright unpleasant about human beings was how rarely they noticed when they were happy.
In the summertime, Him and his uncle could be drinking lemonade under the shades, and uncle Alex would interrupt the conversation to say, ‘If this isn’t nice, what is?‘ Uncle Alex wasn’t complaining or whine about the experience, instead, he was grateful for the fact that he gets to drink a simple lemonade with one of his favorites human being.
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In her book, Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now, American memoirist and poet Dr. Maya Angelou also emphasizes on the idea that “Whining is not only graceless, but can be dangerous.
She says, “It can alert a brute that a victim is in the neighborhood.”
Essentially we don’t realize how much waste is in it, how distracted and inefficient it makes us.
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Civilization will wear you down. Sexism, racism, ideology, the government, or what have you―all of these boxes are there to limit you, to wear you down. But against all these odds,―find awe.
Go wander somewhere.
Put all concerns on pause, and think about the vastness, the mysteries of the world around you. Listen intently to the sound of the rain. Be fully present.
Become aware of a new aspect of a familiar landscape. View it from a different perspective. Who knows, you might be in for a pleasant surprise.
Closing thoughts
Have you experienced any “awe-inspiring moment” that you’d like to share with us? Let us know in the comment below.
And as always, thank you for reading.
God bless. Till next time.
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