Awe

 

“It’s as big as the whole world!”

-          Carolyn, age 5

 

Watching fireworks with our niece, Carolyn, we heard her shout this as a very large firework exploded in the sky above Laguna Pueblo.

The awe of a young child is a wonderful thing.

A teaching moment, really.

I saw the same firework as it took over the sky. But I didn’t feel the sense of awe that she did. I suspect that my children, who are older than Carolyn, might not have felt awe either.

Awe (noun) : a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder

: the rapt attention and deep emotion caused by the sight of something extraordinary

Awe (verb) : to inspire or fill with awe

Synonyms for awe : wonderment, astonishment, amazement, wonder

 

So, how do we channel a young child’s ability to feel awe in ways that we don’t?

First, we might do well to practice a bit. It might come naturally to the Carolyns of the world, while for the rest of us it will take some work and effort toward being awed, toward feeling awe.

In thinking about this for myself, being fully present might be one of the ways to improve my “awe muscle”. Being less distracted, less rushed. Being present so that the firework and its glow and bigness are not missed.

Second, we might practice gratitude as I think it is a necessary component of awe. It is the glucose that feeds the awe muscle to be able to contract. Gratitude, of course, has little to do with what is happening around us, or in the sky above in the case of fireworks. It has everything to do with what is happening inside us, with the heart and mind that is receiving and interpreting those things happening around us.

Finally, maybe what Carolyn does in the moment that the firework booms and blooms overhead is to simply suspend reality and rational thinking in order to flex the awe muscle. Allowing ourselves to go to a playful, youthful place where we are allowed to live in fantasy for a few moments. In the case of the fireworks, things like,

“How did they fit all of those colors into such a small firework?

“What if that firework was actually light-up gummy bears and I could open my mouth to catch a few?”

“It’s as big as the whole world!”

 

Have fun flexing the awe muscle, good people.

Channel the inner-child as you work on it.

Work on being present, increasing your gratitude dose and inviting play and fantasy into your world.

Our teacher, Carolyn, will be proud of our efforts.