What was the last experience of awe you had? How did it feel in your body?
There is fascinating research to show that awe is a transformative emotion, it connects us to each other and makes us happier and healthier. What's so cool about this is that awe isn't just found when we have an experience like seeing the vastness of the Grand Canyon or the vibrant beauty of a Van Gogh painting. It's found in everyday moments: observing a child learning something new, hearing the first few notes of your favorite song on the radio, the pattern of the clouds on your drive home from work.
We can cultivate awe in our lives, and the key is paying attention. I'd love it if you would share with me your experiences of awe, big and small. I'm on Instagram @melaniewelchmd. If you know someone who might enjoy this episode, please click “share link” on the podcast and send it by text today. If you liked this episode, subscribe for more like it.
Today's take home messages:
1. Experiencing awe makes us happier, healthier and more connected.
2. Awe is found in everyday moments.
3. We can cultivate awe, it starts with paying attention.
Resources for this episode:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/awe/definition#how-cultivate-awe
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/dacherkeltner/docs/shiota.2007.pdf
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/whats_the_most_common_source_of_awe
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/03/well/live/awe-wonder-dacher-keltner.html
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/quizzes/take_quiz/awe
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622175/awe-by-dacher-keltner/
